Gamers during their training session at the T1 building, one of the world’s top eSports organisations where dozens of professional and budding gamers train, in Seoul. — AFP
SEOUL: A Nike-sponsored gym, support staff including nutritionists and English language classes are all part of the set-up at T1, one of the world’s top eSports organisations, where around 70 gamers are looking to emulate its highest-profile member, League Of Legends giant Faker.
Explosive growth has turned competitive video gaming into an increasingly professional sport, with a youthful, ever-growing fan base that appeals to sponsors and advertisers.
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Gamers during their training session at the T1 building, one of the world’s top eSports organisations where dozens of professional and budding gamers train, in Seoul. — AFP
Dozens of T1’s professional and budding gamers train in a brand new, 10-storey building in Seoul’s expensive Gangnam district, following a routine similar to mainstream sports. — AFP
Gamers eating at a cafeteria in the T1 building, one of the world's top eSports organisations where dozens of professional and budding gamers train, in Seoul. — AFP
Players – mostly in their 20s or even teenagers – can attract a global following to rival stars in traditional sports, with the best making millions of dollars in salaries and prize money. — AFP
Winner’s trophies on display at the lobby of the T1 building, one of the world's top eSports organisations where dozens of professional and budding gamers train, in Seoul. — AFP
An advertisement billboard of League of Legends giant Faker (right) at a bus stop in front of the 10-storey T1 building, one of the world's top eSports organisations where dozens of professional and budding gamers train, in Seoul. — AFP
A Nike-sponsored gym, support staff including nutritionists, and English language classes are all part of the set-up at T1 where around 70 gamers are looking to emulate its highest-profile member, League of Legends giant Faker. — AFP
A souvenir shop at the lobby of the T1 building, one of the world's top eSports organisations where dozens of professional and budding gamers train, in Seoul. — AFP
Kim posing with a figure of League of Legends giant Faker, during an interview with AFP at the T1 building in Seoul. — AFP
Promotional photos show the team in uniform, half of them in glasses and most with identical pudding-basin haircuts. — AFP
Gamers during a training session at the T1 building. The routine is intense: around 10 hours a day with coaches and trainers, strategising and polishing their skills for the next match. — AFP
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