International news publication TIME has named legendary League of Legends player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok to its list of the 100 Most Influential People in Sports.

Featured specifically within the marquee “Icons” category, the South Korean mid-laner shares the selection alongside generational traditional sports figures including Lionel Messi (football), LeBron James (basketball), and Carlos Alcaraz (tennis).

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Commonly dubbed “The Unkillable Demon King,” the T1 superstar’s inclusion follows a period of unprecedented competitive dominance along with an established history in the scene. TIME highlighted that Faker has amassed a record six League of Legends World Championships (Worlds) with the South Korean organisation, including a consecutive three-peat stretch across the latest tournament cycles. His career landmarks also include being named the inaugural inductee into Riot Games’ official Hall of Legends.

Beyond his competitive trophies, TIME also mentioned Faker’s commercial influence has translated into significant personal equity, encompassing a direct ownership stake in the T1 franchise and the “Faker Tower,” a nine-story commercial property located in Seoul.

Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) will return in 2026 with a bigger and bolder edition, taking place across 18–21 June in Cologne, Germany, alongside IEM Cologne. The schedule and details about ticket sales are available in this link.

According to TIME, Faker’s trajectory mirrors the massive economic scaling of the broader digital sports landscape. From its origin as a niche community pastime, the global esports market is now projected to reach an estimated valuation of $7.46 billion by 2030.

This commercial explosion has allowed endemic legacy clubs like T1 to consistently secure elite, non-endemic commercial portfolios, sustaining high-profile long-term brand integrations with global corporations such as Nike, Red Bull, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, all mentioned by TIME.

With competitive and commercial success walking side by side, and for the first time in its history reaching operating profit last year, T1 renewed the contract of CEO Joe Marsh through 2029.

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