Buzz
According to many assessments, inheriting Faker is the toughest mission for players.
Another Worlds season has passed, and once again, Faker missed the opportunity to clinch the most prestigious international tournament title in the League of Legends scene. However, unlike 2017, T1 in 2022 is perceived by experts and the community to have a higher chance of winning. In the DRX lineup, only Deft and BeryL stood out until before the Finals, unable to be compared with the Samsung Galaxy of the past.
After the conclusion of Worlds 2022, one of the biggest concerns in the League of Legends community is the transfer situation of players. As always, Faker remains a highly anticipated figure. Everyone understands that Faker may never leave T1 until he retires. However, as Faker's time grows shorter, another issue arises: Who will succeed the 'Immortal Demon King'?
From within T1
Faker experienced a period of declining form, especially during the 2020 season - early 2021. Coach Daeny even benched him at one point. Although Faker later returned to the starting lineup when Coach Daeny left, it cannot be denied that T1 began preparing for a 'Faker-less' life.
However, the truth remains that until now, no player has met the requirements of T1 or LCK in the task of 'inheriting Faker'. At T1, Clozer was once seen as a very promising star. But after Coach Daeny left, he lost his position to Faker and gradually fell out of favor. Currently, Clozer is shining at Liiv SANDBOX (LSB) - a fairly average team in the LCK.
At the entire LCK tournament
In the LCK region, from ShowMaker to Bdd and even Chovy, they were all considered the new generation of Mid Laners in the Korean League of Legends scene. After winning Worlds 2020, ShowMaker was even considered the 'successor to Faker'. The reason is that he also has a wide champion pool, especially excelling on LeBlanc.
However, neither ShowMaker nor Chovy met the requirements. After winning Worlds 2020, ShowMaker was no longer himself. In fact, DWG KIA ended the 2022 season with no titles on any front. Chovy did better with the LCK Summer 2022 championship. But he and Gen.G Esports suffered defeat in Spring and came up empty-handed at Worlds 2022. Chovy remains the most disappointing name in the highest-level international League of Legends tournament.
Inheriting Faker - an almost impossible task
When talking about Faker, audiences will think of a well-rounded player from skills to ethics. Throughout his career, Faker's troubles probably stemmed from... complaining about the state of trolling in ranked games. Faker has always been a role model for effort both in competition and practice, behavior, and courage. But because Faker is too complete, the pressure on those chosen to be potential replacements for him becomes even heavier.
When replacing Faker, Clozer once had to apologize to his senior when they met in ranked games. After leaving T1 and being relieved of the pressure to replace Faker, Clozer performed very well in the LSB jersey. Both ShowMaker and Chovy have also been burdened by pressures, preventing them from reaching their peak form during the past period.
Conclusion
In recent years, audiences have discussed extensively about Faker entering the twilight of his career. But the worthy successor to the T1 captaincy remains a mystery. Because inheriting Faker is not just about winning titles, but also about influence, character, and courage throughout the journey of the 'Immortal Demon King's' illustrious career.
