On the 17th, immediately after T1's victory in the EWC 2026 LoL quarterfinals, a very special fan meeting was held in a corner of the arena. It was for the 'Super Fans'—a program where the EF Foundation covers travel expenses for partner teams, and the teams personally select and invite fans to the venue.

In total, about 100 fans attended the meeting, including the 40 or so 'Super Fans' whose expenses were covered, as well as others who had purchased their own tickets to the EWC. Given T1's massive global fandom, I was curious about the stories of the fans who had made it through the intense competition to be selected.

The fans who won the chance to meet T1 after submitting their personal stories shared that, for them, it was no exaggeration to say that the team had changed their lives, far beyond just watching a game.

"Isolated in a COVID ward and burnt out, watching T1 helped me stand back up"

The stories of the Super Fans gathered that day were deeply intertwined with the realities of their everyday lives; they were ordinary citizens from all walks of life. One fan, who introduced herself as a nurse of 17 years, said she overcame the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic through T1.

Recalling that painful time, she said, "For three years in the COVID ward, I cared for patients and lived a life restricted from even local travel to prevent the spread of infection. During that time, two of my relatives passed away from COVID complications. I suffered from depression and burnout."

What brought her back to the world was stumbling upon the World Championship stage. A fan of Lim Yo-hwan back in the StarCraft days, she said, "Rediscovering esports, which I had briefly forgotten, healed my heart and restored my vitality." She also shared her story: "I have been donating consistently to share the gratitude I've received, and I attached my donation receipts to my application. Thankfully, this opportunity came my way."

"I want to protect my students' dreams": A high school teacher and T1 fan

Another T1 Super Fan introduced herself as a high school teacher. "I wrote in my application about how hard I studied and researched to become an expert in my field," she said. As a teacher, she explained, "Many students have dreams beyond just academics, and some even dream of becoming pro gamers."

She continued, "As a teacher, I have a strong desire to sincerely help my students when they worry about their career paths. I applied for the Super Fan program because I thought that if I could help the students who want to be pro gamers by thinking through their career paths with them, they might be able to prepare for their future without having to leave school."

How an introverted 'homebody' began traveling the world

The next fan had a quite unique story. For starters, she lives in London, not Korea, and has only been a serious T1 fan for about two years. She admitted that she used to be the type of person who would ask, 'How is gaming a sport?' However, after watching the last Worlds, she became completely hooked on esports and T1. Since then, she has come to feel that esports is more 'sporty' than traditional sports. Cheering for T1 has made her personality much more outgoing, and she has even found new vitality in life, taking up vlogging about her experiences as a hobby.

She also introduced her own unique way of cheering: the 'T1 Victory Savings Account.' "Since last year, I've been putting a certain amount of money into a savings account every time the team wins. With the money I've saved, I've visited the home ground, this MSI, and I'm currently in Paris, with plans to visit the home ground again in August," she said.

"For T1's three-peat, I also won gold in a competition for three consecutive years"

The next fan I met is a fashion merchandiser. While 2022 was the best season for DRX, it was a painful year for T1. What moved this fan was the sight of Keria in tears. Keria, overcome with emotion, and Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) watching him—it is a scene that immediately comes to mind for any esports fan.

The fashion MD said, "I gained immense strength watching T1 endure and overcome their hardships. I had a new challenge I wanted to pursue, but like many people, it wasn't easy to give up a stable job. I was the same. Despite the discouragement and concerns of those around me, I gained courage from watching T1 and started my challenge."

Through grueling study, she achieved the feat of winning her first award in a related competition in 2023, followed by gold awards in 2024 and 2025. As it happens, T1 has also continued to record great results at Worlds since then. Her story—that every year after the awards ceremony, she would take her gold medal to the T1 trophy room to take a verification photo—was one that made her a shoo-in for the Super Fan program.

Finally, the fans who shared their stories sent a message of gratitude to T1.

"The players always say in interviews that they 'gain strength thanks to the fans,' but in reality, the comfort and the strength to overcome burnout that fans get from watching the players' matches is far greater. It doesn't matter to us if the players aren't always at their best. We are ready to cheer for them anytime, anywhere. As long as they continue to show us their best efforts as they do now, we will stay with them until the end, with the mindset that we will turn anywhere in the world into T1's home ground, whether we are officially 'Super Fans' or not"