TL;DR
- Faker commands 35.4% of Korean All-Star votes despite missing Worlds
- His vote share exceeds the next four players combined by significant margin
- SKT’s roster instability and performance decline contrasted with Faker’s popularity
- Team failed to develop synergy despite individual player improvements
- Fan loyalty remains strong despite organizational competitive struggles
Despite failing to qualify for the World Championship for the first time since 2014, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok’s legendary status remains completely unaffected among South Korean esports enthusiasts.
The player widely considered the greatest League of Legends competitor globally has secured an astonishing 35.4% portion of South Korea’s All-Star 2018 voting allocation.
This remarkable voting disparity gained visibility through the League of Legends subreddit community, where an Instagram post from Kingzone DragonX jungler Han “Peanut” Wang-Ho highlighted the overwhelming gap between Faker and other professional players.
Faker’s current voting percentage actually surpasses the combined totals of the following four ranked competitors. Additionally, the nearest contender in voting share is SK Telecom T1 teammate Bae “Bang” Jun-sik at 7.8% — representing a massive 27.6 percentage point differential that underscores his unparalleled popularity.
The previous competitive year presented significant difficulties for Faker and his SK Telecom T1 colleagues. After suffering a decisive 3-0 defeat in the 2017 World Championship finals against Samsung Galaxy, top laner Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon departed to rejoin North America’s Echo Fox organization. Peanut transitioned to Kingzone DragonX following an uneven performance period where he shared jungling responsibilities with Kang “Blank” Sun-gu in a rotational system.
Even as recent Worlds finalists, SKT opted against recruiting established veterans, instead introducing newcomers Park “Thal” Kwon-hyuk and Lee “Effort” Sang-ho for top lane and support roles respectively. The prior SK Telecom T1 lineup frequently relied on Faker’s exceptional skills to secure victories, and this new configuration proved excessively challenging even for the renowned mid laner to successfully guide to success.
Although individual SKT members demonstrated personal development and occasional moments of excellence, the squad never established effective teamwork coordination throughout the competitive split. Faker himself occasionally faced criticism for attempting overly ambitious plays that exceeded reasonable strategic boundaries.
SKT failed to qualify for summer playoffs and saw their Worlds qualification hopes end when Gen.G eliminated them during the initial regional qualifier round. Nevertheless, South Korean League of Legends supporters have unequivocally demonstrated that their views regarding the organization’s competitive difficulties and their assessment of Faker’s individual legacy remain completely distinct entities.
Action Checklist
- Analyze voting patterns in your region’s All-Star selections to understand player popularity metrics
- Research team roster changes and their impact on competitive performance throughout seasons
- Compare individual player statistics against team achievement metrics for balanced assessment
No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Faker recieves almost 36% of Korean All-Star Votes Faker dominates Korean All-Star voting with 35.4% share despite SKT's competitive struggles