The demon king Faker has returned! Leading his team into the World Cup, he hinted in a post-match interview that his teammates have issues.

Greetings to all LPL viewers and League of Legends summoners. This is the World of Esports.

The number of LOL events has surged this year, with the Asian Games, World Cup, and National Cup all offering significant prestige. Top teams from the Chinese and Korean regions are constantly pushing their limits. Yesterday, the LCK held an EWC qualifier BO5 that determined who would secure a spot.

As a result, T1 defeated DK with a 3-1 score, successfully earning their ticket to the World Cup.

The demon king returns: Faker at his peak performance

In this match, Faker once again transformed into a demon king, immediately securing consecutive solo kills against ShowMaker in the early game. Faker's Akali performance in this split has been sublime—it's also the champion with which he has the most solo kills. Facing the meta-popular mid-laner Cassiopeia, Faker showed no mercy, first picking off the enemy jungler in the jungle, then solo killing ShowMaker twice on the sidelines.

With a mid-lane advantage, T1 also secured dragon control, smoothly snowballing to win the first game.

In the second game, Faker picked Sylas and delivered another outstanding performance. This game was full of twists: T1 made a questionable decision mid-game to force Baron, which led to a lost team fight and put them at a disadvantage. Later, T1 repeatedly looked for opportunities to turn the tide—Oner's Lee Sin put on a show, and T1 even managed a 1-for-5 counterattack. However, the game was ultimately thrown by Doran's Sion, who got caught out alone, and the score was tied.

In the third game, Faker picked Ryze mid to run a rotation system, and Oner's Poppy played excellently. T1 secured a dragon soul point early on. The two teams traded blows, with DK gaining a slight advantage. But T1 seized a critical opportunity to kill DK's top laner and jungler, took Baron, and then cleanly aced the enemy to end the game.

Leading the team into the World Cup, the post-match interview was a highlight

In the final fourth game, DK built a massive lead early on: they won the initial skirmishes, and a brilliant chaotic team fight around the dragon further extended their advantage, widening the kill gap.

However, during a crucial dragon fight, Faker's Annie flashed to avoid Cassiopeia's W, then flashed in to engage, instantly killing two enemies including Ahri.

T1 launched a counterattack, secured Baron, and turned the tide. DK's ultimate-heavy composition crumbled as T1 pushed to their high ground and won the team fight, ultimately losing 1-3.

After the match, Faker was named POG for his outstanding individual performance, earning praise from viewers who said he had returned to his demon king form.

The most amusing part was Faker's interview. He stated that recently he has been full of confidence, actively trying many more plays, and finding the game more enjoyable.

The host then asked Faker what the secret or key was behind T1's recent rise in performance.

Faker replied that there was actually no secret or key—it was just that his teammates were finally playing properly.

Netizens burst out laughing after seeing this interview, commenting that Faker was clearly hinting that his T1 teammates had been goofing off and not playing seriously in previous matches.

Faker's playstyle adjustment: nothing like an old veteran

Faker's interview response was actually a humorous way to answer the host's question, since the host's inquiry touched on internal team information that pro players cannot disclose.

Personally, I believe one reason for Faker's recent good form is the addition of Easyhoon to the coaching staff.

As a dedicated mid-lane coach, Easyhoon can help Faker a great deal, easing his pressure and optimizing his playstyle. This allows Faker to have clear objectives and make correct choices when using different champions in various systems.

Another factor is the significant adjustment in Faker's playstyle this year. Normally, a veteran who has competed for over a decade would play cautiously and avoid unnecessary risks. But Faker has done the opposite, adopting a more aggressive approach to explore new possibilities and adapt to his new role after the team roster changes.

With this playstyle, Faker ranks first both in solo kills and in being solo killed—a high-risk, high-reward style that is highly entertaining to watch. Both fans and critics have something to talk about, so everyone is happy.