If you’re in any way linked to or interested in the wide world of esports, you’ll know the name Faker. Lee Sang-Hyeok, to give him his full name, is one of the most decorated and beloved competitors in esports history, having dominated League of Legends for a decade and won more world championships than any other player in the business.
He’s a rockstar athlete with a monumental following, and at every tournament, he’s the talk of the town. However, in a recent interview, Faker revealed that he perhaps doesn’t know as much about League of Legends as he has been letting on.
Turn Up, Play, Win, Repeat
Lee Sang-Hyeok has won millions of dollars playing League of Legends and has managed to build a profile that’s almost unparalleled in the esports industry. He’s adored by fans worldwide and has been an inspiration to many, and in 2025, he shows no signs of slowing down, despite having just celebrated his 29th birthday.
In a recent interview with Hotspawn, the legend was put to a series of questions, but the lack of depth in any of his answers could be indicative of him perhaps not caring about League of Legends as much as you might imagine.
Despite dedicating his professional life to the game, Faker seems to know very little about the wider ecosystem.
When asked about the League of Legends animated series and prompted to suggest a path for the next show from Riot Games, Faker simply revealed he doesn’t know about the backgrounds or storylines for the game’s Champions. He also mentioned that he ‘doesn’t know anything about TV shows’, suggesting he’s not been privy to Arcane, the animated series that cost Riot a whopping $250 million to make.
Faker has long professed his love for books, but he admitted in the interview with Hotspawn that he hasn’t read the League of Legends lore books, of which there are two. When asked what he thinks of them, he said, ‘If it’s good, I’ll try.’
Furthermore, when asked to rate the best splash and profile art in League of Legends, Faker said:
I also actually don’t really pay attention to the splash arts, but I collaborated to actually make my Ahri skin, so I will go with that one.
And then, when asked about how League of Legends is growing and becoming increasingly huge, Faker advised the interviewer that he doesn’t pay attention to ‘other aspects of League of Legends’, but he does hope Riot can inspire more people to play League.
I guess this goes to show that as long as you bring home the trophies, you don’t need to concern yourself with the granularity of the game you’re so good at.
Do you think you know more about League of Legends than Faker? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming esports, check out our 25th anniversary lookback at Ninjas in Pyjamas
