Faker makes a massive comeback at LoL Worlds
If you thought you’d seen the last of the LoL star Faker, then you’d be wrong. Just two years after his tearful exit from the 2017 League of Legends World Championship, the South Korean superstar is back in action at this year’s LoL Worlds.
So does Faker’s return mark an obvious choice for anybody who’s planning to do some esports betting on the tournament? Or will his return to LoL Worlds be another huge disappointment for the South Korean legend?
WHY DID FAKER TAKE TIME OUT FROM LOL WORLDS?
Faker had been well known as being one of the greatest League of Legends gamers of all-time. His phenomenal gameplay had helped power SK Telecom T1 to three championship titles, and they looked good for their fourth triumph at 2017 LoL Worlds.
However, Samsung Galaxy had other ideas and they crushed SK Telecom T1 in the grand final in front of 40,000 screaming fans. It marked the first time that Faker had ever been defeated in the playoff rounds of the LoL Worlds tournament. As a result, we saw the usually calm Faker breaking down into tears at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing.
It was a massive fall from grace for a gamer who had previously dominated League of Legends. But anybody with a nickname like ‘Unkillable Demon King’ won’t be kept down for long.
Read Also: LOL WORLDS POWER RANKINGS
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM FAKER IN 2019 LOL WORLDS?
All LoL betting fans will welcome the return of a gaming legend like Faker. But much has changed in League of Legends since the South Korean’s humbling experience in Beijing.
While SK Telecom T1 managed to qualify for the 2019 LoL Worlds contest as South Korea’s top seed, they are some way from being the tournament favourites. Many North American and European teams have grown significantly in the past couple of years, and the era of eastern dominance looks like it could soon be over.
COULD WESTERN TEAMS CAUSE PROBLEMS?
SK Telecom T1’s first group stage game is against Fnatic on Saturday 12 October. This promises to be a tough match against one of the more formidable European League of Legends teams. It’s thought that this could be a straightforward victory, but there are plenty more challenging LoL teams lying in wait.
In particular it’s Cloud9 who could be in with a real shot of creating more heartbreak for Faker. This North American team have an excellent international pedigree, and they were unlucky to get knocked out of the LoL Worlds semi-finals in 2018. With LCS Summer Split MVP Dennis ‘Svenskeren’ Johnsen in their roster, it’s easy to see why this could be Cloud9’s year.
The 2019 League of Legends World Championship kicked off on 2 October, and it will run for six weeks. As well as being able to pick up the iconic Summoner’s Cup, the tournament winners will also get to take the lion’s share of a prize pool that’s thought to be over $6.45 million.
Image courtesy of LoL Esports
