Thousands pack Inspire Resort as Korean esports powerhouse, led by Faker, turns luxury resort into large-scale showcase
INCHEON — The luxury Inspire Resort in Incheon transformed into a sea of black-and-red on Friday as esports fans poured in for a three-day celebration centered on Korean League of Legends powerhouse T1.
Thousands of attendees filled the hotel complex, many dressed in jerseys of their favorite players, waving light sticks and clutching fan merchandise.
The gathering marked the kickoff of “2026 T1 Home Ground,” a large-scale fan event anchored at Inspire Arena, a venue that has hosted major K-pop concerts and esports competitions.
Widely regarded as one of the most decorated franchises in competitive gaming, T1 competes in the LoL Champions Korea and holds a record number of titles at the LoL World Championship. At the center of its legacy is Lee Sang-hyeok, better known by his gaming moniker Faker, whose six world championship victories have cemented his status as the face of modern esports.
This year’s Home Ground opened with a fan-driven festival atmosphere, featuring interactive booths surrounding the arena.
Photo installations offering virtual snapshots alongside star T1 players such as Faker and Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun drew long lines, while other activations invited fans to create personalized placards bearing messages of support.
Food stands offering T1-branded snacks, from churros to fried shrimp, saw steady traffic throughout the day, while Inspire Resort’s official outlets rolled out themed menu sets. Overhead, the resort’s signature ceiling media installation cycled through T1 content, flooding the property with the event’s celebratory atmosphere.
For many, the event doubled as a community touchpoint. Park Jin-hee, a 21-year-old fan who has followed T1 since her school years, said she returned for a second consecutive year and planned to meet friends she first connected with through online T1 fan communities.
“T1’s journey across different Worlds has been a rollercoaster,” she said. “They’re not always dominant, and that unpredictability is what keeps it exciting, and what made me a fan. I do think events like this keep me connected to the team and invested in their journey.”
The opening ceremony, which kicked off at 6 p.m., leaned into spectacle. K-pop group Nmixx delivered a high-energy set featuring hits such as “Love Me Like This” and “Blue Valentine,” alongside the live debut of the team’s theme track for T1 — “Superior.”
The evening also featured a fan auction offering one-on-one coaching sessions with T1 players. The headline moment came when a bidder secured a private session with Faker for 2.52 million won ($1,703), the highest price of the night, with proceeds directed to charity.
Additional performances included a set from singer-songwriter Hanroro, while organized fan chants saw the crowd singing along to individual player anthems.
Programming continues through the weekend with competitive play taking center stage. Saturday’s lineup includes LCK Challengers League matches between T1 and Hanjin Brion, in addition to a fan meeting and a celebratory performance from Zion.T. LCK CL is the official Tier-2 professional LoL competition in Korea.
The event culminates Sunday with T1 facing BNK FearX, alongside a special appearance by Chrissy Costanza, known for one of the most significant tracks in LoL, “Legends Never Die” — the official anthem of the 2017 World Championship.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
