Gaming
Esports
The best League of Legends players of all time
Since October 2009, League of Legends has captivated millions of players. The top players come together to compete and these seven are the best of the best.
As esports increasingly become more mainstream, we are aware of the players that elevate the game. As the field of play widens, we will see many players come and go. Many will garner scores of winning streaks and impressive plays, but only a few will truly leave a mark on the sport and ascend to legendary status. Here are seven players who have already achieved that distinction.
Read more League of Legends stories
01
Faker
The South Korean from SK Telecom T1 has been a professional player since March 2013, taking the competitive scene by storm. During that time, the 27-year-old has won the World Championship, the most important tournament of the year, four times and is the only professional LoL player to have played under the same organisation for almost nine years.
Lee Sang-hyeok is considered the GOAT in League of Legends
© Riot Games
He's known for his uncanny ability to outplay his rivals. For example, when he played Zed against Ryu's Zed, or his solo kill in his opening game against Ambition, who was considered the best midlaner at the time.
Faker also has many regional titles in the top Korean league and various other successes to his name. Faker stands for superlatives of all kinds and impresses with consistently strong performances even years after his debut. The scene will continue to talk about this superstar long after his career has ended.
02
Uzi
One of the best technical players in the world is the 26-year-old Jian ‘Uzi’ Zi-Hao from China. As one of the players with the most kills in professional games, both regionally and internationally, he has always stood out from the crowd of ADCs. He's also known for his fearsome use of Vayne, with whom he achieved three out of five total Pentakills in the LPL.
Despite injury, Jian Zi-Hao keeps coming back
© Riot Games
Despite being a mainstay of the RNG squad for many years, he came out of a year and a half retirement and joined the Bilibili Gaming team, which shocked many fans since Uzi spent his entire career under the RNG banner. Although he has won many regional titles, he has never won a World Championship. A goal that Uzi has always had and still wants to achieve.
The mantra of Carlos Rodríguez, CEO of G2 Esports, is: "Believe that you are number one and that you can be even better." A recipe for success that Uzi lives by.
03
Ambition
Before Faker’s time, the top mid laner was Kang’ Ambition’ Chan-yong. After joining the MiG Blaze team in 2011, he celebrated many international successes. The 31-year-old played midlane until 2014 but decided to switch to the jungle. In retrospect, it turned out to be one of the best decisions he could have made, as he won the World Cup with Team Samsung Galaxy in 2017.
Kang Chan-yong retired after an incredible career
© Riot Games
Today, Ambition is a streamer for Gen.G and can look back on his many successes. He is one of the few players who successfully changed roles and enjoyed more success than before.
04
Perkz
The former face of G2 was 25-year-old Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković. The Croatian played under the organisation for five years - three as a midlaner and two as an ADC. After many successes in the LEC, he was also able to prove himself in the LCS and win a title there. He is known for his outstanding performance in stressful situations and his self-confidence when it matters most.
Luka Perković has returned to the EU
© Riot
After being homesick, Perkz returned to Europe, where he played for Team Vitality and most recently moved over to Team Heretics. Like many others, his dream is to lift the World Finals trophy. While he came close in 2019, he refuses to give up, so expect spectacular things from Perkz in the future.
05
Caps
Rasmus 'Caps’ Borregaard Winther is a mid laner with many names. When he has a bad day, he self-deprecatingly switches to ‘Craps’. But fans affectionately call him ‘Claps’ when he outplays his opponents. He even briefly styled himself as ‘caPs’. The Dane became known under the Fnatic organisation until he decided to move to G2 Esports in 2018.
caPs flashes a smile at the LEC 2022 Spring Finals
© Michal Konkol/Riot Games
Now aged 24, with five MVP awards throughout his career and always a smile on his face, this “Baby Faker” will continue on his quest to capture the World Championship.
06
Mata
Known by many as the best Support of all time, the 29-year-old Cho ‘Mata’ Se-hyeong has had a long career. Mata was way ahead of his time as a player and employed some tactics and strategies that became standard meta over the years. His strongest champion was Thresh, where he would show off his outstanding technical ability and decision-making skills every match.
Mata can lead his team as a coach just as well as he can as a player
© Riot Games
He worked for numerous teams as a player until 2019 when he decided to become a coach. Although he no longer plays on stage, he supports his teams, currently Gen.G, with precise preparation and much experience.
07
Showmaker
Since Heo ‘Showmaker’ Su’s debut in 2017, the 23-year-old Korean has always lived up to his alias. His amazing technical prowess and incredible reaction times probably come from his time as Katarina One-Trick. He always tries to entertain his viewers with flashy plays and aggressive style.
Showmaker is considered to be the best player of the next generation
© Riot
The midlaner has already secured a world championship title, with his victory coming in 2020. As the youngest player on this list, he has already achieved a lot and has a long and exciting career ahead of him.
