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Esports legend Faker opens up about Elon Musk's challenge, contract extension and more

Published: 18 Dec. 2025, 19:32

T1’s Faker, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, poses next to a uniform with his name during a press conference in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Dec. 18. [YONHAP]

Faker, the face of professional League of Legends (LoL), said on Thursday that he was ready to take on Grok 5, accepting a challenge Elon Musk issued last month to stage a LoL match between xAI's next-generation AI model and T1, the reigning world champions.

At a news conference in central Seoul on Thursday, Faker, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, welcomed a challenge floated by Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, to pit an advanced AI system against his championship team.

Last month, Musk said on X that xAI, his artificial intelligence company, was planning a 2026 exhibition match between Grok 5, its next-generation model, and T1, the Korean team that won this year’s League of Legends World Championship. Musk called T1 “the best human LoL team.”

“I’m grateful that AI and Big Tech companies are taking an interest in the gaming industry,” Faker said. “I’m also very excited about the idea of facing Grok. Chess was conquered by AI a long time ago. I think AI will eventually be able to compete against us in LoL and win someday, but I feel like next year, we’ll probably be the ones to win. And when the day comes that AI wins, I think that will be fun in its own way.”

His remarks further fueled expectations of a renewed “human vs. AI” showdown following the 2016 match between Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo and Lee Sedol, a former professional Go player.

In July, Faker — who debuted in 2013 with SKT T1, the predecessor of the current T1 — extended his contract with the team for another four years.

“T1 offered me great conditions beyond [my salary],” Faker said. “I want to inspire fans, and there are still more ways for me to learn and grow as a professional gamer, which is why I re-signed. Since the contract [ends in 2029], I think I’ll probably spend my entire pro career with T1.”

T1’s Faker, center right, speaks during a press conference in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Dec. 18. [YONHAP]

In November, Faker led T1 to its sixth League of Legends World Championship title — and an unprecedented third consecutive victory. “I think it was just because the game was fun,” said Faker in response to a question about his smile during the fourth round of the finals, when T1 was on the brink of defeat after falling behind 1-2 to KT Rolster.

“I’ve been passionate since I was young,” said Faker when asked how he has maintained his competitive drive for more than a decade. “Saying it was ‘just there’ may be the best way to put it. Having that passion is a blessing. I still very much want to win and play well.”

While many esports players retire around age 25 after peaking in their late teens, Faker, who was born in 1996, has been a top competitor for more than 10 years. “Competing into my 40s would be difficult,” he said, “but if I can continue to perform well, I want to do my best until the end.”

“I’d love to win four titles in a row, but regardless of wins and losses, my goal is to make the most of what I have and keep pushing myself. I’m also curious what I’ll be like after 2029.”

Faker then named Chovy of Gen.G as his greatest rival over his 13-year career. “Chovy has excellent performance, and playing against him has always been very enjoyable,” Faker said. “He’s been a driving force for my own growth.”

T1’s Faker, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, poses next to a uniform with his name during a press conference in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Dec. 18. [YONHAP]

“I’m thankful that many people from older generations seem to be viewing games more positively,” said Faker. “Like anything, gaming can be harmful if overdone, but it also has positive aspects, and we need to find the right balance.”

He then answered more personal questions. Though he has motivated many others to pursue esports, Faker said he personally draws inspiration from books. “Books let you experience other people’s lives and stories [...] and the insights they offer are tremendous,” he said.

When asked what he might have done if he had not become a professional gamer, Faker mused, “I picked up many hobbies, but none of them lasted very long. If I hadn’t become a pro gamer, I probably would have tried a lot of things without settling on anything. Since I like strategy and computers, I think I would have ended up working in a related field.”

In regard to his future, specifically as a husband or father, Faker said, “Nothing has been decided, but those would be happy things as a person. For now, though, I don’t have fixed values or plans, so I’m trying to focus on the present.””

The gold medalist in esports at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, Faker also spoke about the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games taking place next year. “Competing in the Asian Games is always meaningful for athletes,” he said. “If given the opportunity, I’d definitely like to participate.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK RIN [[email protected]]