It’s too early to call Keria the second best League of Legends player of all time

In League of LegendsA GOAT conversation always starts and ends with one word. Race #2, however, is a completely different story.

On April 26th, a T1 supporter Ryu “Keria” Min-seok officially extended his contract with the club until 2029, a deal that puts him on the same contract timeline as GOAT Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok.

His impact and skill, however, has also reignited another discussion: is Keria already the second best League of Legends player of all time behind Faker? Or do you need to prove yourself even more?

After winning a three-peat with the team, it is clear that Keria is the best supporter in the history of the League. This player also said that it would be a lie if it is said that the title is not his.

Although the votes for best support are unanimous, the community has been arguing that he should be considered #2 behind his colleague, Faker.

“I think he has a good enough resume to be called the second best player to ever touch a keyboard. It’s actually crazy that a supporting player has reached this level,” said a Reddit user.

Keria is one of the few players to have been to every world championship since joining the professional game. If you look at the results, his record is even more impressive: top 8, top 4, runner-up, and three world championships, with one LCK title, one Esports World Cup title, and a domestic league runner-up.

Traditionally, the support role has always been one of the most difficult roles to explore in League of Legends. While you can look at the main stats of all the other roles, the main supporting players are often overlooked unless you really manage to have those standout moments. However, Keria created those moments for herself.

Over the years, T1 has been best known for playing between three jungle-mid-support players, and the latter has been playing an important role in the play and execution of the team.

In the past two tournaments, Keria was always looking to establish the meta, always leading the way with unusual picks and making them work. In 2024, he used Bard and Pyke in important series, such as the Regional Finals against KT Rolster, which allowed T1 to reach Worlds, and then in the elimination games against Top Esports and Gen.G.

Last year, the script revealed itself again when Keria used Seraphine to eliminate Anyone’s Legend and Renata Glasc in the grand finals against KT Rolster. What makes these picks so special is their inherent volatility – high-risk, high-reward champions who want near-perfect kills to get good value out of them.

However, Keria makes it look easy. This guy has a lot of pockets in his arsenal, making him a constant threat to any team he plays with, especially in the Fearless Draft era.

I think it’s safe to say that Keria is the best support in League of Legends. He just admitted that title, and no one disputed it. In fact, many respected him for what he had to say:

“To be honest, it would be a lie to say that the title is not mine.” However, if I keep thinking like that, I might be arrogant.

The undisputed agreement that Keria is the best supporter brought up another debate: Is he the second best ever, or any role?

While Keria’s impact and accolades are strong enough, time remains one of the most important factors when evaluating where a player stands in the game’s history. Beyond Hall of Legends inductee Jian “Uzi” Zi-Haothere are a few players who can still make a legitimate case for the #2 spot.

Gen.G ADC Park “Emperor” Jae-hyuk has been among the best ADCs in the world since joining pro play in 2016, and Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu, who played on Keria’s team, had a decade-long legacy before winning the 2022 world championship.

Even the forest Kim “Canyon” Geon-buwho was widely considered the best jungler in the world for most of his career, could be part of the conversation.

These are all players who have proven themselves in different robots, eras, and different situations. Keria, for all her intelligence, didn’t have to do that yet.

The last point keeps coming up. Aside from his first year at DRX, Keria spent his career at T1, alongside the greatest player in the history of the game. “[I] I still won’t believe it until I see him play without Faker in his team. That man is a great god,” said one user on Reddit, pointing out that Faker’s presence makes it difficult to measure Keria’s contributions.

Then there are home records. While the world championships are very important, the LCK titles are also important, especially considering that the league has been considered the most competitive in the world in recent years. Only Keria one LCK title in his name, which is very different from someone like Governor, for example, who has collected many domestic titles (four) in the same time window.

So, is Keria the second best League of Legends of all time? Not yet. But he’s probably the closest of all people right now.

If we just think of the modern era of League of Legends, then the argument becomes very simple. No active player can match the combination of impact and consistency he has had over the years, not even his fellow jungler. Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun.

His extension to 2029 proves that T1 sees him as one of the players who define its future. But if we extend that to the entire LoL esports timeline, Keria still has a reason to shut down.

Good for him, the ground is shrinking, and shrinking fast. Every series he plays is another brick in one of the great legacies. T1 doesn’t need to win many more trophies, as long as Keria can prove her worth in the Rift.

For now, however, it is too early to resolve this debate.