The esports organization formerly known as SK Telecom T1, now rebranded as T1, is undergoing significant changes. It is expected that the League of Legends squad will drop the “SKT” part from its name after the 2019 Spring Split concludes.
In the previous offseason, the League of Legends team went through a dramatic roster remake, with only star mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok remaining from the previous lineup. This resulted in a completely new team for SKT.
Faker has witnessed many teammates come and go throughout the years, especially after winning his first World Championship in 2013. Jungler Bae “Bengi” Seong-ung was the only player who returned the following year. With the recent changes happening in the organization, it’s worth exploring what happened to the old SKT players.
While some former SKT players have left the esports scene, many are still active in the professional circuit. Let’s take a look at where they have gone and how they are faring. We have compiled a ranking based on their post-SKT success.
Greener Pastures
Not all of Faker’s former teammates are still playing professionally. Some chose to leave the esports scene voluntarily, while others struggled to keep up with the competition.
Bae “Bengi” Seong-ung, Jungler
Bengi is a legend in the League of Legends community and was by Faker’s side during all of his championship wins. He retired as a champion and is highly respected as the Right Hand of God.
Lee “PoohManDu” Jeong-hyeon, Support
PoohManDu was the first support player for SKT and won a title with the 2013 team. However, his health declined after the championship win, leading to his retirement as a player. He transitioned into a coaching role and even rejoined SKT for the 2018 season.
Lee “Easyhoon” Ji-hoon, Mid Laner
Easyhoon was expected to be the next great talent for SKT. He started as a starter in 2015 after the team failed to qualify for Worlds in the previous year. However, he couldn’t secure the 2015 MSI title, which resulted in Faker returning as the starter. Easyhoon left to join Vici Gaming in the LPL and is now working as a coach.
Jang “MaRin” Jeong-hwan, Top Laner
MaRin served as the shotcaller for the team that won the 2015 World Championship, which was SKT’s most dominant season. He left SKT after that season to pursue a lucrative contract in China, but he struggled to find success. After playing for several lower-tier LPL and LCK teams, MaRin retired in the past year.
Kang “Blank” Sun-gu, Jungler and Park “Untara” Ui-jin, Top Laner
Blank and Untara are in an awkward position in these rankings because neither have found new teams after leaving SKT. Blank was a key member of a championship-winning team, while Untara was close to making the Worlds roster in 2017. Although they haven’t officially retired, their prime playing days may be behind them.
Rankings
Now let’s dive into the rankings, which are based on the players’ success post-SKT.
7) Chae “Piglet” Gwang-jin, Bot Laner for Clutch Gaming
Piglet left SKT after their first championship win to compete in North America. While he has had some standout moments in the region, he hasn’t been part of a successful team in a long time. In 2019, he struggled through another non-playoff split with Clutch Gaming.
Despite his continued dedication and versatility, Piglet hasn’t found much success post-SKT.
6) Bae “Bang” Jun-sik, Bot Laner for 100 Thieves
Bang is another AD Carry who has faced difficulties since leaving Korea for North America. He joined 100 Thieves with high expectations after the team qualified for Worlds in 2018. However, both Bang and the team have struggled since then. While Bang is still considered a great player, the poor performance of 100 Thieves raises questions about the entire roster.
5) Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon, Top Laner for Clutch Gaming
Huni achieved great success before joining SKT, but we are evaluating his performances after leaving the team. His post-SKT performances have been inconsistent, with both playoff appearances and costly mistakes that have led to his team’s defeats. Huni is a beloved player with a great personality, but unless he improves his gameplay, he may drop in the rankings and potentially leave the league.
4) Lee “Duke” Ho-seong, Top Laner for Invictus Gaming
Similar to Huni, Duke had a successful career before teaming up with Faker in SKT. He even won an MVP award in Korea while playing for a struggling NaJin team. Duke was part of the last SKT championship-winning lineup and has achieved decent success in China. As a secondary top laner for Invictus Gaming, behind Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok, Duke still maintains a significant role on the team, placing him higher in the rankings.
3) Lee “Wolf” Jae-wan, Support for SuperMassive eSports
We expected Wolf to face challenges after seeing where the other players went following their time with SKT. While his former lane partner, Bang, joined a top team in a major region (LCS), Wolf signed with one of the top Turkish squads, which was a step down from the LCK.
However, Wolf has been performing exceptionally well on SuperMassive. The team has been dominating the Turkish Championship League, except for their matches against 1907 Fenerbahçe. If Wolf helps his team overcome this obstacle and secures a trip to MSI, he may move up in the rankings.
2) Han “Peanut” Wang-ho, Jungler for Gen.G
Peanut’s record this year may not be as impressive as Wolf’s or Duke’s, but context is essential. He has been a standout player for a revamped Gen.G squad, where the team’s success heavily relies on him. It’s a challenging task to carry a team in the highly competitive LCK, but Peanut has been playing at an extremely high level.
1) Jeong “Impact” Eon-yeong, Top Laner for Team Liquid
The only player who has consistently found success after leaving SKT is Impact. He was a reliable top laner for Cloud9, helping the team qualify for Worlds. Last season, he joined Team Liquid, and they also made it to Worlds.
Impact has his limitations, mainly playing tanks, but his excellent communication and game understanding make him a winner wherever he goes. That’s why he tops our list.