T1 replace Faker in LCK with academy mid laner due to injury

The legendary mid laner is set to miss some action.

Faker sitting in front of his PC at Worlds 2022.
Photo by Lance Skundrich via Riot Games

T1 has confirmed that Faker will be replaced in the team’s upcoming 2023 LCK Summer Split games due to a hand injury. The legendary mid laner will be replaced by academy player Yoon “Poby” Sung-won.

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The organization shared the unsurprising news on social media on July 5 since T1 play DRX on that day as a part of week five of the 2023 LCK Summer Split. “Faker will take a temporary break due to his injury starting with today’s match against DRX,” the announcement reads.

Additionally, the news reveals some details about Faker’s injury. It states the player underwent a medical examination at a hospital when his condition wasn’t improving. “Fortunately, no major abnormalities were shown in the x-rays and MRI results,” it added. On top of that, T1 promised to support Faker by “receiving the best physical therapy treatments and taking part in rehabilitation programs.”

The news about Faker’s injury first resurfaced on July 2, when the mid laner himself addressed the media and revealed he’s been struggling with it, explaining that he had been facing issues with his right hand since T1’s match against BRION on June 17.

Since then, fans around the world were worried about Faker’s health and wished him a quick recovery, with many rumors spreading around the web. It remains unknown how long his break from competitive matches will take.

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Besides facing DRX on July 5, T1 have a much tougher opponent to play against in week five. The team is scheduled to clash with Gen.G, who are currently undefeated in the 2023 LCK Summer Split and are the defending champions. This series is set to take place on Saturday, July 8.

Author
Image of Mateusz Miter
Mateusz Miter
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. Mateusz previously worked for numerous outlets and gaming-adjacent companies, including ESL. League of Legends or CS:GO? He loves them both. In fact, he wonders which game he loves more every day. He wanted to go pro years ago, but somewhere along the way decided journalism was the more sensible option—and he was right.