Faker was sick at Worlds, what was his disease?

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok has revealed that he was sick during T1’s biggest matches at Worlds 2024, but that didn’t stop the biggest name in the game from dominating.

After a well-deserved break following his fifth triumph at Worlds, T1’s mid lane icon Faker took to his personal stream to share stories from the event. He discussed Choi “Zeus” Woo-je’s move to Hanwha Life, shared his takes on the opening ceremony, and listened to 40 minutes straight of donations. However, the topic that fans are most impressed with was his health during the event. Faker stated that he was sick for nearly two weeks during the event, which unfortunately lined up with some of his team’s most important matches.

Here are details on Faker’s sick games at Worlds 2024 and whether they’ll affect the star in the future.

Faker was sick at Worlds 2024 against Gen.G, BLG

Faker was sick for T1’s matches against Gen.G and BLG at Worlds 2024, but won the matches anyway.

According to fan translation, Faker expressed that he had a runny nose and a cough during the semifinals of the international event. The disease caught him during the semifinals when T1 would play two of its most volatile matchups. The squad went against Korean powerhouse Gen.G and reigning LPL champion BLG. Despite the serious disadvantage, T1 took the former 3-1 and the latter 3-2. Faker played well in both series on his way to yet another championship.

Faker did not specify what disease he had during the game, but based on his symptoms, it was likely just a head cold. There were no reports of serious outbreaks at Worlds, so he was likely an isolated incident. Assuming it was a simple cold or similar, the disease should have zero impact on the Unkillable Demon King’s future performance.

It’s not uncommon for travelers to get sick when arriving in a new country, and T1 went from Germany to France to the United Kingdom during Worlds. From what little fans know, he may have accidentally put expired vinegar on some fish and chips.

Faker’s sick games at Worlds 2024 brings Michael Jordan’s famous flu game to mind. In the 1997 NBA finals match, Jordan was suffering from the flu, but put up incredible numbers in a victory over the Utah Jazz. The parallel shows that GOATs always show up regardless of their condition.