Faker's T1 win League of Legends world title / Photo: BENJAMIN CREMEL - AFP
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Faker's T1 win League of Legends world title
South Korean giants T1, led by "Faker", won their fifth League of Legends world championship crown in London on Saturday, beating China's Bilibili Gaming in a thrilling final.
The teams were locked at 2-2 at a packed O2 arena but T1 clinched game five to make it back to back titles after nearly four hours of tense action.
China's BLG started strongly, taking the first game before T1 struck back to level.
The Chinese team pulled ahead again at 2-1 only for their opponents to hit back again and go on to take the decider.
Faker, who won the MVP award, was asked what message he would send to himself from 11 years ago, when he clinched his first world title.
His response was just: "Have fun."
The 28-year-old, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok,is a multi-millionaire eSports superstar in South Korea, who has been given the title of "national treasure".
Even though the match started around midnight in South Korea due to the time difference, hundreds of dedicated T1 fans gathered at LoL Park, an eSports venue in central Seoul, to cheer on their beloved team.
The crowd erupted in cheers when Faker appeared on the screen.
"T1 is the most special team because it makes things happen when everyone else says it's impossible," said Lee Pari, a T1 fan.
Hundreds of Chinese fans arrived early for a watch party in a shopping mall in Beijing.
Cosplayers dressed as characters from the game posed for photos on the steps leading to the entrance.
Inside, fans were packed shoulder to shoulder an hour before the first round.
Cheers filled the room when BLG players appeared on the screen, and periodic chants of "BLG! BLG!" rang through the mall.
The goal in League of Legends, which pits two teams of five against each other, is to destroy the enemy's base, known as the Nexus.
O.Zimmermann--HHA
