https://www.scmp.com/rss/520058/feed The latest news on Faker, South Korean professional gamer (League of Legends), including gaming news and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ada Li Ada Li League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) will stage its first final outside South Korea this weekend, but the absence of superstar Lee Sang-hyeok has sent resale ticket prices in Hong Kong tumbling. Tickets for the 2026 LCK Cup finals at Kai Tak Arena sold out within half an hour when they went on sale in January, with esports fans eager for a chance to see Lee, who is more commonly known by his player name “Faker”, and his T1 team in action. Official prices for the losers’ final on February 28... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3344467/league-legends-champions-star-fakers-absence-hong-kong-hits-resale-value-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3344467/league-legends-champions-star-fakers-absence-hong-kong-hits-resale-value-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:37:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao US video game developer Riot Games, creator of League of Legends, retains bragging rights to the most popular PC game in China nearly a decade and a half after its launch. First introduced in 2009 and brought to the mainland in 2011, the multiplayer online battle game has been around longer than many of those who play it – a remarkable feat in an industry known for its rapid shifts. The secret to the game’s longevity may lie in the sustained appeal of the League of Legends esports scene, as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333089/how-league-legends-remains-most-popular-pc-game-china-after-15-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333089/how-league-legends-remains-most-popular-pc-game-china-after-15-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Connor Mycroft,Sophie Li Connor Mycroft,Sophie Li It was nothing less than a dream come true for Hong Kong gamer Ip Chi-ho when he found himself on stage alongside South Korean esports superstars T1 in a pair of exhibition matches last month. The response of about 5,000 fans packing the AsiaWorld-Expo venue added to the thrill of appearing with the five-member Korean team led by Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as “Faker” and widely considered the greatest player in the battle-arena game League of Legends. “The cheers and enthusiasm of the audience... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3282079/hong-kong-and-esports-havent-quite-clicked-fans-urge-government-support-reboot-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3282079/hong-kong-and-esports-havent-quite-clicked-fans-urge-government-support-reboot-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Oct 2024 01:00:21 +0000 Everything everywhere all at once. Or it soon will be. If both the doom merchants and the evangelists are to be believed, artificial intelligence will soon be running every aspect of our lives. Cyberdyne Systems will finally rule the world. Non-spoiler alert: AI is already making its startling, invisible presence felt in the realm of the moving, talking image: as we know, deepfakery can have seriously harmful effects on, for example, political truth (whatever that is). And in the more frivolous... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/film-tv/article/3274623/youre-still-going-need-human-landy-slattery-why-ai-wont-replace-creatives-will-spark-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/film-tv/article/3274623/youre-still-going-need-human-landy-slattery-why-ai-wont-replace-creatives-will-spark-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2024 06:45:08 +0000 As India gears up for its next general election, artificial intelligence has opened a new front among rival parties, with political observers warning that existing regulations cannot keep pace with fast-evolving technologies such as deepfakes. The shift away from traditional campaigning towards using AI to win votes could already be seen late last year when local polls were held in a number of major Indian states. In Telengana, an AI-generated video supposedly showing the leader of the former... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255388/indias-politics-descends-ai-arms-race-deepfakes-threaten-elections-and-theyre-not-only-ones-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255388/indias-politics-descends-ai-arms-race-deepfakes-threaten-elections-and-theyre-not-only-ones-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:30:15 +0000 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), South Korea’s top-tier esports league, is expected to grapple with publicity and financial challenges despite its success in the Asian Games and World Championship last year, according to industry officials on Thursday. For South Korea, 2023 marked a big win for its esports industry, especially for Riot Games’ League of Legends (LoL), one of the world’s biggest esports titles. Korea bagged two of the seven gold medals for esports, including one for LoL,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3249970/south-korean-league-legends-esports-league-faces-challenges-china-after-taiwan-controversy-halted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3249970/south-korean-league-legends-esports-league-faces-challenges-china-after-taiwan-controversy-halted?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jan 2024 11:00:28 +0000 Forget the romantic, Bond-esque notion of the suave spy with fast wheels and even faster women on tap. Closer to “spook” reality may be the greasy, flatulent slob in a flasher mac. A grubby, clandestine trade based on betrayal and secrecy deserves Jackson Lamb more than James Bond; and Gary Oldman continues to sport Lamb’s grotty, kebab-infused raincoat with distinction in the six-part third series of Slow Horses (Apple TV+). Reluctant sometime ally Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas), deputy... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3244173/what-stream-weekend-gary-oldman-excels-slow-horses-season-3-greasy-flatulent-british-spy-jackson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3244173/what-stream-weekend-gary-oldman-excels-slow-horses-season-3-greasy-flatulent-british-spy-jackson?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2023 00:45:07 +0000 South Korean powerhouse T1 swept aside China’s Weibo Gaming on Sunday to clinch a record fourth League of Legends world championship, widely considered the Super Bowl of esports. T1 won three straight games in the best-of-five final at the Gocheok Sky Dome stadium in Seoul, roared on by a capacity crowd of 18,000. Legions of fans descended on Seoul for the final of the League of Legends world championship, which has rapidly grown since the first edition in 2011 into one of the crown jewels of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3242122/league-legends-south-koreas-faker-wins-record-breaking-fourth-world-title-after-defeating-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3242122/league-legends-south-koreas-faker-wins-record-breaking-fourth-world-title-after-defeating-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Nov 2023 02:44:31 +0000 Thousands of fans from around the world have descended on South Korea’s capital Seoul for the League of Legends world championship final on Sunday, widely considered the Super Bowl of esports. First held in 2011, the League of Legends (LoL) world championship has rapidly grown to become one of the crown jewels of esports, which are globally forecast to attract audiences of nearly 1.4 billion by 2025. South Korean powerhouse T1, who lost in last year’s world final, will take on China’s Weibo... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3242007/league-legends-gaming-fans-flock-seoul-super-bowl-esports-faker-targets-rare-home-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3242007/league-legends-gaming-fans-flock-seoul-super-bowl-esports-faker-targets-rare-home-win?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Nov 2023 06:00:24 +0000 When South Korea’s League of Legends team beat Chinese Taipei at the Asian Games despite being without their star player, they not only captured the gold medal but also won an exemption from military service at home. In South Korea, the law exempts athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers from military service if they have obtained top prizes in certain competitions and are assessed to have enhanced national prestige. Whether online gamers should be included in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3236384/asian-games-2023-south-koreas-league-legends-esports-gold-without-goat-faker-earns-military-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3236384/asian-games-2023-south-koreas-league-legends-esports-gold-without-goat-faker-earns-military-service?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Sep 2023 08:44:39 +0000 Esports is the newest event at the Asian Games and, arguably, the most divisive. Say what you will about its inclusion next to events such as boxing, where athletes put themselves through rigorous training camps to reach the pinnacle of fitness to withstand a barrage of punches – the reality is, esports is hugely popular. And history was made on Tuesday night as China won the first-ever esports gold medal at any Asian Games. Nearly every esports session in the host city of Hangzhou is expected... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3235963/asian-games-2023-esports-what-are-games-how-are-they-played-and-who-expected-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3235963/asian-games-2023-esports-what-are-games-how-are-they-played-and-who-expected-win?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2023 06:47:38 +0000 He was mobbed at the airport when he arrived in Hangzhou for the Asian Games and he has been called the Michael Jordan and Lionel Messi of League of Legends (LoL), but Lee Sang-hyeok is different, because is undoubtedly the best to ever play his game. Better known as “Faker”, the South Korean mid-laner boasts three World Championships, two Mid-Season Invitationals, 10 national titles, and a highlight reel of the most iconic one-on-ones in the game’s history. The 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou are... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3235682/faker-who-lee-sang-hyeok-unkillable-demon-king-and-how-much-lionel-messi-league-legends-worth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3235682/faker-who-lee-sang-hyeok-unkillable-demon-king-and-how-much-lionel-messi-league-legends-worth?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2023 05:00:16 +0000 K-pop powerhouse BTS did not get one, star footballer Son Heung-min did: South Korea grants limited exemptions from military service and for the first time esports players can earn one. For South Korean men, winning gold in any sport at the Asian Games opening on Saturday in Hangzhou comes with an automatic exemption from 18 months in the army. This year esports is a medal event for the first time, meaning South Korea’s top players including team captain Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok have double the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3235433/south-koreans-debate-over-gamers-who-can-get-military-service-exemption-if-they-win-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3235433/south-koreans-debate-over-gamers-who-can-get-military-service-exemption-if-they-win-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2023 06:40:48 +0000 Risen for a third satirical series of skewering the hypocritical hell of American televangelism is The Righteous Gemstones (HBO and HBO Go, continuing). With “America’s Jesus Daddy” and Gemstone Salvation Centre founder Dr Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) now semi-retired and on the book-signing circuit, the blustering, ineffectual new leader of the megachurch is his eldest son, Jesse (series creator Danny McBride). His fractious rivals for control of the holy money-spinner, in which every service... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3229076/what-stream-weekend-hbos-righteous-gemstones-starring-john-goodman-and-danny-mcbride-back-third?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3229076/what-stream-weekend-hbos-righteous-gemstones-starring-john-goodman-and-danny-mcbride-back-third?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 23:45:07 +0000 At least eight people were killed when two suspected smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach and one capsized, and crews were searching on Sunday for an estimated seven additional victims, authorities said. A Spanish-speaking woman on one of the panga-style boats called emergency services late on Saturday to report that the other vessel had overturned in waves off Blacks Beach, according to United States Coast Guard Petty Officer Richard Brahm. “The woman who called stated that the boat... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3213283/8-dead-7-missing-after-suspected-smuggling-boats-capsize-san-diego-coast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3213283/8-dead-7-missing-after-suspected-smuggling-boats-capsize-san-diego-coast?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Mar 2023 17:14:09 +0000 Carl Sagan, the late American scientist and author, once described books as “proof that humans are capable of working magic” – recognising their unique ability to place a reader in the mind of a writer, possibly dead for thousands of years, breaking through the shackles of time. For Kirstin Chen, author of the recent hit novel Counterfeit, time’s connection to writing is less fanciful, more personal. “I am a slow writer. It takes me four to five years to write a book,” she says. “When I was... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3204791/bestselling-author-kirstin-chen-regenerative-gift-time-her-hit-third-novel-counterfeit-explores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3204791/bestselling-author-kirstin-chen-regenerative-gift-time-her-hit-third-novel-counterfeit-explores?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:00:17 +0000 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday dismissed an Associated Press report that he had been taken to hospital with a heart condition, scolding Western journalists for what he cast as false reporting. Associated Press, citing Indonesian officials, said that Lavrov had been taken to hospital after arriving on the island of Bali for a Group of 20 summit. AP said Lavrov, 72, had been treated for a heart condition. “This, of course, is the height of fakery,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3199567/russian-foreign-minister-sergey-lavrov-taken-hospital-after-arriving-g20-bali?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3199567/russian-foreign-minister-sergey-lavrov-taken-hospital-after-arriving-g20-bali?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Nov 2022 09:52:37 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. In 2009, then chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen announced in his policy address that the government would promote the development of six industries, including the environmental industry.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3194003/hong-kong-recycler-mil-mills-troubles-highlight-need-make-recycling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3194003/hong-kong-recycler-mil-mills-troubles-highlight-need-make-recycling?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Sep 2022 03:30:07 +0000 Until now, no exceptions have been made for K-pop stars when it comes to South Korea’s mandatory military service for able-bodied young men. After all, the nuclear-armed and weapons-testing North Korea is not far away, and the two sides are technically still at war. That helps explain why global superstars like rapper G-Dragon, a member of the group Big Bang, and Exo singer Chanyeol have both gone through the rite of passage of wearing military gear for at least 18 months. But now it seems... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3175615/will-south-koreas-k-pop-stars-bts-march-beat-own-drum-or-join?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3175615/will-south-koreas-k-pop-stars-bts-march-beat-own-drum-or-join?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2022 02:00:26 +0000 He has been dubbed the Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi of League of Legends (LoL), but what distinguishes Lee Sang-hyeok is there is no debate – he is undoubtedly the best to ever do it in his field. Better known as “Faker”, the South Korean mid-laner boasts three World Championships (two MVP awards), two midseason invitationals (MSI), nine national titles, and a highlight reel of the most iconic one-on-ones in the game’s history. Lee’s gamer tag is synonymous with mind-blowing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3172859/faker-lee-sang-hyeok-biography-family-net-worth-league-legends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3172859/faker-lee-sang-hyeok-biography-family-net-worth-league-legends?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Apr 2022 07:57:53 +0000 “Love and life.” Li Ruijun, a director of few words, you might say, has just summed up for me the themes he wanted to explore in his latest film, Return to Dust. As broad as this sounds – could it get any broader as an answer? – these are exactly the issues the Chinese filmmaker sets out to pursue with such delicate precision in this rural melodrama, the sixth feature of his increasingly engrossing career. Set in the early 2010s, the film follows a farmer and his wife, brought together in an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3167920/return-dust-its-movie-about-love-and-life-says-li-ruijun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3167920/return-dust-its-movie-about-love-and-life-says-li-ruijun?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Feb 2022 10:15:16 +0000 Asian esports chief Kenneth Fok Kai-kong hopes a recent alliance with Chinese tech giant Tencent will help boost Hong Kong’s standing as a global hub for competitive gaming. Fok, president of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF), said he wanted the city to be part of the qualifying campaign for when esports makes its full medal debut at September’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. “I hope we can make one qualifier event on the Road to Asian Games (RDAG) programme in Hong Kong,” Fok told... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3164521/tencent-and-ocas-esports-alliance-can-help-put-hong-kong-map-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3164521/tencent-and-ocas-esports-alliance-can-help-put-hong-kong-map-global?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jan 2022 08:15:21 +0000