On Aug. 2, in the 2023 LCK Summer Split, T1 defeated Kwangdong Freecs 2-0 and put an end to their losing streak. With Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok back in the lineup, T1’s performance was completely different. They won the two games in 46 minutes — 23 minutes per game. As soon as they gained the initiative, T1 stormed Kwangdong Freecs’ Nexus in no time. After the match, interim head coach Lim “Tom” Jae-hyeon and Faker joined the media for an interview.

How was today’s game?

Tom: The atmosphere wasn’t good as we were on a losing streak, but I’m thankful to the players for showing a clean 2-0 performance.

Faker: It’s been a while since I played, and I’m really happy that we were able to have a clean win.

How is your wrist?

Faker: It’s not fully cured, and I’m still getting treated. I’ll have to see how I adapt.

What do you mean by adapt?

Faker: The symptoms I have are difficult to resolve in the short term. They said that it has to be treated for a long time. I need to get used to the symptoms and adapt to a new posture, new style, and game routine. That’s what I meant by adapt.

What kind of change are you attempting to recover from your injury?

Faker: My original posture used to affect the nerves a lot. So I’ve been changing my posture little by little and trying to find the line where it doesn’t affect my performance.

You had a month's break due to the injury. What did you focus on besides the game?

Faker: I thought about how I could be of help to the team during my injury, but mostly, I tried my best to return as soon as I can through treatment.

(To Tom) As a coach, how did Faker affect the team’s game?

Tom: When Faker wasn’t playing, the other players felt pressured a lot. As he returned, the atmosphere got much better, and there were more shotcalls in the game as well. That was very positive from a coach’s perspective.

(To Faker) From the outside, what was the problem with T1’s performance?

Faker: There were too many moments where we lost a lot from a single mistake. I thought the biggest reasons for the losses individual mistakes.

You returned to the team after T1 suffered many losses. Weren’t you pressured?

Faker: I didn’t feel pressured about the team’s situation. I personally had slight worries about my own performance since my form wasn’t that good, but I was grateful and happy that I could play.

After game 1, fans shouted Faker. Did you hear it?

Faker: It touched my heart that the fans cheered for me all game long. I’m thankful.

How is your form?

Faker: I don’t think my performance is that good. I still need to tend to my wrist condition, so I believe I’m only at about 50%.

Do you think you’ll be able to recover by the playoffs?

Faker: I can’t be sure, but I’ll work hard to show a performance worthy of the stage.

(To Tom) Do you think T1 will be better with Faker’s return?

Tom: The teamwork is much better, so I believe our performance will improve by a big margin.

(To Faker) You’ve watched your teammates play for a month. Did you find anything that you didn’t see before?

Faker: As Poby played in my place, I found that he is a capable player with many strengths that I could learn. I was also able to think about the plays that my teammates need and found things that I didn’t see before.

What did you learn from Poby?

Faker: He’s a player that works really hard and strives to help the team. I was motivated by him and learned several things from him.

You faced Xerath. What are your thoughts on it?

Faker: I thought it could appear. The current meta allows many different champions to stand in the mid lane, so I believe any champion can appear.

Is there a reason you returned today?

Faker: I thought I needed to get back to the team game in the week before the playoffs to show a good performance when the playoffs come. My wrist condition improved as well, so I believed I could play. I also discussed this matter a lot with the team.

Any last comments?

Tom: Thank you for always cheering for us. We’ll be meeting Liiv SANDBOX in the last match of the season. I’ll prepare well so that we could win with a performance like today. I’ll also make sure that we have a good performance in the playoffs too.

Faker: I had a month off, and I’d like to thank my teammates for working so hard during that period. I had a hard time through my injury break, but it was positive since there were things that I learned. I hope fans don’t worry and cheer for me more. Thank you.