It’s too early to be calling Keria the second-best League of Legends participant of all time

In League of Legends, the GOAT dialog all the time begins and ends with one title. The race for #2, nonetheless, is a totally completely different matter.

On April 26, T1 help participant Ryu “Keria” Min-seok formally prolonged the contract with the workforce till 2029, a deal that places him on the identical contract timeline because the GOAT Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok. 

His affect and talent, nonetheless, have additionally reignited one other dialog: is Keria already the second-best League of Legends participant of all time behind Faker? Or does he must show himself much more? 

After profitable a three-peat with the workforce, it’s clear that Keria is the most effective help in League historical past. The participant himself mentioned it will be a mislead say that the title doesn’t belong to him.

Whereas the votes for the most effective help are unanimous, the group has been debating whether or not he must be thought-about the #2 behind his teammate, Faker.

“I feel he has a ok CV to be known as the second-best participant to ever contact the keyboard. It’s really insane {that a} help participant has reached this stage,” mentioned a consumer on Reddit.

Keria is without doubt one of the few gamers that has been to each world championship since becoming a member of skilled play. Wanting on the outcomes, his report turns into much more spectacular: one prime 8 end, one prime 4, a runner-up, and three world championships, with one LCK title, one Esports World Cup title, and several other runner-up finishes within the home league.

Historically talking, the help position has all the time been some of the tough roles to judge in League of Legends. When you can check out the principle stats for all the opposite roles, the good help gamers typically get neglected until you’re actually in a position to have these spotlight moments. Effectively, Keria constructed these moments himself.

Over the previous years, T1 has been notoriously recognized for taking part in by means of its jungle-mid-support trio, and the latter has all the time performed a key position within the workforce’s playmaking and execution. 

Previously two championships, Keria would all the time look to innovate the meta, all the time main the cost with unconventional picks and making them work. In 2024, he used Bard and Pyke in essential collection, such because the Regional Finals towards KT Rolster, which allowed T1 to achieve Worlds, after which within the elimination matches towards each High Esports and Gen.G.

Final 12 months, the script introduced itself once more when Keria used Seraphine to eradicate Anybody’s Legend and Renata Glasc within the grand last towards KT Rolster. What makes these picks so placing is their inherent volatility —  high-risk, high-reward champions that demand near-perfect execution to get good worth from them.

But, Keria makes it look simple. The man has so many pocket picks in his arsenal, making him a relentless menace to any workforce he performs towards, particularly within the period of Fearless Draft.

I feel it’s protected to say that Keria is the most effective help in League of Legends. He lately acknowledged that title, and no person disputed it. The truth is, many revered him for what he needed to say about it:

“Truthfully, it will be a mislead say that title doesn’t belong to me. Nonetheless, if I maintain pondering like that, I would change into conceited. Whereas I do assume I’m the most effective, I all the time attempt to go away room for the need to maintain enhancing,” Keria mentioned.

The undisputed settlement that Keria is the most effective help introduced up one other debate: Is he the second-best there ever was, any position?

Whereas Keria’s influence and accolades are sturdy sufficient, time stays some of the essential elements when evaluating the place a participant stands within the historical past of the sport. Past Corridor of Legends inductee Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao, there are a number of gamers who can nonetheless make a professional case for the #2 spot.  

Gen.G ADC Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk has been among the many world’s finest ADCs ever since he joined professional play in 2016, and Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu, Keria’s former teammate, had a decade-long legacy earlier than profitable the world championship in 2022. 

Even jungler Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu, who has been extensively thought to be the most effective jungler on the earth for a lot of his profession, may be a part of the dialogue. 

These are all gamers who proved themselves throughout completely different rosters, eras, and with completely different circumstances. Keria, for all his brilliance, hasn’t had to do this but. 

The final level retains developing. Other than his first 12 months on DRX, Keria spent his profession at T1, alongside the best participant within the historical past of the sport. “[I] nonetheless gained’t consider it till I see him play with out Faker on his workforce. That man is a macro god,” mentioned one other consumer on Reddit, hinting at the truth that Faker’s presence makes it harder to measure Keria’s contributions. 

Then there’s additionally the home information. Whereas world championships carry vital significance, LCK titles matter as nicely, particularly provided that the league has been thought-about probably the most aggressive on the earth lately. Keria solely has one LCK title to his title, which is in stark distinction to somebody like Ruler, for instance, who has collected a number of (4) home titles in the identical time window. 

So, is Keria the second-best League of Legends of all time? Not but. However he’s in all probability nearer than virtually everybody else proper now.

If we’re simply contemplating the fashionable period of League of Legends, then the argument turns into a lot simpler. No energetic participant can match the mixture of influence and consistency that he has had through the years, not even his jungle teammate Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun.

His 2029 extension proves that T1 sees him as one of many defining gamers of its future. But when we broaden that to your entire LoL esports timeline, Keria nonetheless has some floor to cowl.

On a constructive observe for him, the bottom is shrinking, and it’s shrinking quick. Each collection he performs is one other brick in one of many biggest legacies. T1 doesn’t must essentially win that many extra trophies, so long as Keria can show his value on the Rift. 

For now, although, it’s nonetheless too early to settle the talk.