Have you ever wondered why Koreans are so good at League of Legends? From Faker to TheShy, they all belong from South Korea and are the top LoL players. The main reason behind this is the fact that Koreans are great at playing video games. At multiple esports tournaments, people will predict a win for the team with more Koreans. Hence, you know how strong is the belief that Koreans are good at gaming.
There are no biological reasons for Koreans to be this good at gaming. However, if you look 20 years back, you will know the reason why. Korea went through a foreign exchange crisis right after the Korean war. As a result, too many companies across the nation went bankrupt. To deal with this crisis, the Government took a step and invested in the IT sector of the company. As a result of which a worldwide broadband connection was established. This led to the birth of PC Bangs. Later on, League of Legends was launched, and the rest is history. Nevertheless, multiple other reasons are backing up why Koreans are so good at League of Legends.
What Makes Koreans Better At League of Legends?
The introduction of PC Bangs in the 90s has a significant contribution, but there are multiple other elements. One of such elements is that they try way too hard to be the best. Anything other than the best is not acceptable. Even when the Korean LoL team won second or third place in Esports world championships or Olympics, they apologized. Yet, let us discuss other factors behind them being better at League of Legends –
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Legacy of Korea
Even when it is the esports world, people know that the nation playing has to be the best for the longest time. This is some unspoken rule and is valid to a great extent. This is true for any other sport that is played in the world. Korea has been playing League of Legends for the longest time. They were the ones who pushed LoL to the top level of competitions. History helps Korea to stay on the top.
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Gaming – A Career Prospect
Unlike any other region of the world, esports as a career in Korea is taken way too seriously. It is simply not a career you choose to make money. You need to have the proper mindset, skill, and qualifications to become a professional gamer. There are hundreds of players in Korea lining up to be League of Legends players. They might just be playing for Academy Team, but they will be dedicating everything to be best at it.
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Intense Training
The intensive training sessions are another reason why Koreans dominate the League of Legends game. Most of the gamers under training will spend 90% of their time to be the best at the game. Maximum Korean players have just one day off every 14 days. They dedicate their time to grinding against other teams, getting mentored by coaches, or playing solo. However, you will not find western players doing the same. Players who fail to deliver better results are replaced.
Read: Games in South Korea: 7 Popular RPG Games of South Korea
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Support of the Government
The amount of contribution of the Korean Government in esports is commendable. They take esports seriously. It is one of the important primary events, and winning a gold medal is a must at championships. Furthermore, players who win at Asian Games are excused from serving in the Mandatory Military Service of the city. This drives the players to do better at the championships. Furthermore, the Korean Senate takes an active part in solving the disputes players have with their contracts.
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Best Coaching Staffs
Every staff has to be of high ability in the League of Legends Champions Korea. Korea does not choose managers, analysts, coaching staff, and players based on their popularity but calibre. From Gen.G to T1, these teams look forward to hiring coaches who have successfully led teams to win championships. The Korean LoL coaches are not just audience but play a significant role in building up the teams and the players.
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Focusing On Solo Queue
One of the other reasons why Koreans are so great at LoL is the solo queue environment. Players from Korea have their account bind with their Social ID No. This ensures that you get just one account virtually. Players have to take the game seriously or may face a permanent ban. Playing a game in this server thus feels way too harsh.
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Acceptance of the Esports Culture
Like mentioned before, the esports culture is different in this region of the world. Society has vastly accepted this culture in the previous two decades. Any players who have a high ranking in LoL’s’ Solo Queue automatically get invited to join a team. The players sacrifice their sleep and other personal activities to rank in Solo Queue. The skill of the players in this region is relatively high than anywhere else in the world.
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Victory Is the Goal
Yes, players everywhere have the same goal despite the sports they play. But, it is even more severe for Korea. They do not think of anything less than winning. You will spot every team and player saying how they want to succeed in LCK trailers. Well, these are not just words. Their main goal is to strive to win. Even the second place is far from satisfactory or consolation for them. Everyone expects the best from them.
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Contribution of KeSPA
Thanks to the Korean Government that they decided to build the Korean e-Sports Association to train players. It was built around 2002 and since then has been actively nurturing the esports culture in Korea. KeSPA has offered assistance teams and better authority for League of legends. In addition, KeSPA has been providing stability to the League of Legends teams to grow better.
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Constructive Fanbase
You have to agree with the fact that fans do build players to some extent. The LCK fans are critical even of their favourite players. The fans take their team’s performance seriously and want their devotion to being rewarded with better results. Even organizations tend to push the player to meet the expectation of their fans. But, they also guard the players against adverse remarks by fans. The same ”best or nothing” mentality comes into play with these fans supporting their favourite teams.
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Korea Is Developed for LoL Players
Korea has to be one of the best places that give birth to the top LoL players. It has excellent ping, a solo queue environment, and an accepting society to support. If you consider all the factors, you will know it is the correct country to be a League of Legends player. Almost every LoL player tries to play on Korea’s server at least once in their life. They want to play alongside their favourite streamers.
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Years of Experience
Korea has been the birthplace of some world-class players. It is far easier for new-age players to develop their skills than in any other country in the world. As said earlier, some of the top LoL players belong to this land. Hence, new players have TheShy or T1 as their inspiration. Some highly skilled coaches bring out the best in the players. This makes the path smoother for fresh League of Legends players.
Concluding Thoughts
The Solo queue system in Korea is another harsh world for players. It is toxic and competitive for all the players. However, the players in Korea are all about pushing their limits and achieving heights in League of Legends. Their mentality of not giving up easily has helped them reach such a level.
These were the reasons why Korea dominates the world of League of Legends. They are considered the King of the game. However, it is for time to tell how long they will hold this place in the future. Other than Faker and TheShy, Dopa or Apdo is another famous League of Legends player in Korea.
