Star players are really important in sports. They not only deliver outstanding performance in their games, but they also make the sport more popular and generate revenue for their team. A star player can influence and inspire fans to the point that they become a social/cultural phenomenon.

Michael Jordan for basketball, John Cena for pro wrestling, and Messi or Ronaldo for football; these are just a few good examples of star players. Fans enjoy watching them play and their adoration of the player adds to the adoration of the sport.

This isn’t limited to traditional sports. Despite its short history, there have many stars in the esports scene. Some are limited to their own country, but some players have become superstars around the world. Among those superstars in the esports scene, one name stands out the most: SKT T1 Faker of League of Legends fame.

Since his debut as a professional gamer in 2013, Faker has won 14 championships and was runner up 5 times. His record is unmatched in team esports events. There are some players that have a better career if individual events are included, but still, it’s almost impossible to match Faker’s popularity within the esports community.

These superstars don’t appear out of nowhere. Faker’s rise to fame was only possible because players like BoxeR, FlaSh, and Moon brought fame to the esports scene, while many teams, coaching staff, and investors worked to establish the esports environment in Korea.

At the Inven Global esports Conference: esports Deep Dive(IGEC), several head coaches from the Korean esports scene will be sharing their methods and vision in the presentation: “More than Culture: How Korea is Fostering the Next Generation of Fakers”.

First is Choi “cCarter” Byeong-hun who had 6 championships in the LCK and 3 world championships. At the IGEC, cCarter will be speaking about how Faker became a worldwide star, how SKT T1 was at the top of the game, and how he led the players behind the scene.

The head coach of Afreeca Freecs, Choi “iloveoov” Yeon-sung, who led the team to 2nd place in the 2018 LCK Spring Split will also be participating as a speaker. He has already been to the top as a Starcraft player, and now as a coach; he’ll be speaking about how he was able to transfer his experience as a player to coaching a team.

One element that is often overlooked, yet quite crucial for the development of star players, is environment. Head coach Han “H-Dragon” Sang-yong of Jin Air Green Wings will be emphasizing the importance of activities outside of the game so that the players can earn respect from fans and set good examples for them. Choi Yoon-sang, general manager of MVP who has the most teams over all esports titles in Korea, will share his story on how MVP came to their current position while explaining his vision of the esports market.

For any who run an esports team or wish to take their team to a pro level, this presentation given by the coaches of Korea is something that should not be missed.