The Coronavirus has taken a major toll on the gaming community lately, and the long term effects are still yet to be seen. The immediate effects have included delayed games, canceled esports events, and larger conventions, and many have felt a great loss. However, pro-League of Legends player Lee Sang-hyeok who goes by the name "Faker" is taking matters into his own hands.
Faker has pledged some of his League of Legends winnings in the amount of 30 million Korean won (around $25,000) to charitable efforts trying to stop the virus from spreading further. Faker was born and raised in South Korea where the virus has taken a particularly deadly effect. More than 7,000 people have confirmed cases of the virus. There have been 53 confirmed deaths, with the number projected to rise in the coming weeks. Many of the top officials believe that the worst of the virus is behind them, but that doesn't account for the thousands still affected.
Not only is Faker's cause going viral among fans, but his team is also taking up the charge. For a full week, Faker's team SK Telecom 1, also known as T1, will donate all of their streaming revenue to various charitable organizations dedicated to stopping the virus.
This is an unprecedented effort, as gaming and streaming are becoming increasingly popular among quarantined areas of the world. The CDC is avidly against large gatherings of people, and gamers are finding streaming the best way to reconnect with their large audiences.
In a tweet posted on Monday, Faker posed with a handwritten note and the official Sk Telecom 1 logo to announce his sizeable donation.
"We support everyone who works to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection-19. Wherever they are, we want to work together to overcome this situation and provide the support we really need."
The tweet was retweeted by the team's official page and included statements of support from other teammates. Fans of the team rushed to show support and even join in on the cause. One fan begged the team to organize a massive stream on Twitch or YouTube so that they could enjoy the game while showing monetary support.
As of now, there is no plan for a specific streaming event for T1, Faker, or any of the top League of Legends players. But fans can still watch Faker's Twitch stream which at the current moment has around 30,000 fans supporting him.
League of Legends is available now on PC.