After a tense series against Anyone's Legend in the lower bracket final of the MSI 2025, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok gave an interview to community commentator and team owner/coach Los Ratones Mark "Caedrel" Lamont. The legendary mid laner of T1 shared his thoughts on the current meta, revealed details of the drafts, commented on Poby's transfer to Fnatic, and explained why there is no need to panic over the weak performance of European teams.

The interview was lively and candid. Faker, usually reserved outside official events, openly answered questions about his form and provided a rare glimpse into T1's backstage operations during the tournament.

T1 in the Grand Finals Again, Faker at the Top

After a 3:2 victory over Anyone's Legend in the lower bracket, T1 secured their spot in the MSI 2025 grand finals. Faker, the team's unwavering mid laner since 2013, is once again leading T1 to the title. In the interview with Caedrel, he not only discussed the current tournament but also shared his assessments of the scene as a whole.

On Drafts Against AL and Preparation for the Fifth Game

In one of the key moments of the series, Faker chose Aurora over the more familiar Viktor. He explained it like this:

From a team fight perspective, Aurora was the best choice at that moment. But in the early and mid-game, it didn't work out as we wanted.

 

He also added that before the decisive game, the team was fully focused:

There's very little time between games, so it's mostly about discussing picks and bans. Everything is tense.

 

Form, Mindset, and Personal Condition

Faker admitted that he didn't feel at his peak form during the last games:

The last couple of games, I wasn't at 100%. It's just a feeling. I hope to be back in form tomorrow.

 

He also mentioned spending extra time before the series began to fully adjust his game settings:

It was a best-of-five series, so I wanted to make sure my settings were right. I spent quite a bit of time on that.

 

On Meta Champions with Low Win Rates

Despite the frequent appearance of Twisted Fate, Kalista, and Renata in drafts, they fail on stage. Faker explained:

The tournament has too small a sample size. Wins and losses are also a matter of matchups and opponents. Statistics can be misleading.

 

On Poby's Transfer to Fnatic and His Potential

Faker spoke warmly of the young mid laner he had worked with before:

If Poby really moves to Fnatic, I think he'll do well. I taught him a lot when he was on my team. I think he's ready.

 

On Europe's Failure at MSI 2025

Amid the early exit of European teams, Caedrel asked Faker for his take on the situation. His response was concise but precise:

All regions have slumps. Even LCK. Things will get better over time.

 

On the Most Important Series in His Career

When Caedrel asked about his favorite series in his career, Faker chose last year's Worlds final:

There were many great games, but I choose the one that fans enjoyed the most — last year's Worlds final.

 

This interview is a rare occasion where Faker openly discusses not only the game but the industry as a whole. His opinion remains a benchmark for players, analysts, and fans. Amid the unstable results of other regions, T1 and Faker demonstrate stability, leadership, and strategic thinking — qualities that could lead them to the title once again.

The Mid-Season Invitational 2025 will take place from June 27 to July 12 in Canada with a prize pool of $2,000,000. You can follow the news, schedule, and results of the tournament through this link.