Faker becomes part owner of T1 with new three-year contract

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok extended his contract with T1 through 2022 and is now a part owner of the global organization.

Every offseason the community waits for the day that Faker announces where is he playing next. Year after year, the decision is the same, to stay with T1. Now, the organization has guaranteed that Faker is not going anywhere, likely for the rest of his life.

Faker is the face of T1 and the biggest key behind the team’s global success. T1, formerly known as SK Telecom T1, is the only team to win three World Championship titles, two Mid-Season Invitationals, and eight LCK titles. Faker and T1 are the most accomplished team-player duo in the world, it will take years and hard work for anyone to break any of those records.

Faker extends playing contract with T1, takes on ownership

According to a press release by T1, Faker has signed a three-year contract as a player. Once he decides to retire, whenever that might be, Faker will assume a leadership position within the company. T1 was vague regarding Faker’s duties once he retires, but he is likely to continue being the face of the organization.

“T1 is thrilled to have Faker on its roster for the next three seasons,” T1 CEO Joe Marsh said.  “Since T1’s inception, Faker has been the cornerstone of our team’s success and his undying passion for this organization will continue to drive us forward now that he is a part-owner of T1 Entertainment & Sports.”

T1 Entrainment & Sports is a joint global venture that operates teams in titles like Fortnite, Dota 2, PUBG, and Overwatch League team Philadelphia Fusion.

Faker is the second player to get partial ownership of his team at the top of the pro League of Legends scene. The first one was North American resident Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg, who became a part owner of Team SoloMid back in October 2019.

While Bjergsen and Faker are the first ones to become part owners, it’s likely that they won’t be the last. Names like Luka “Perkz” Perković and G2 Esports, or Jason “WildTurtle” Tran and FlyQuest come to mind when we think of potential player and ownership duos that could extend well into the future.