In the Incheon Munhak Stadium, Invictus Gaming of China toppled Europe's Fnatic in a three-game sweep to win the 2018 League of Legends world championship and the ultimate prize, the Summoner's Cup. Over 20,000 fans packed the venue near the heart of South Korea to watch the coronation of the world's new best team.

Recently, Riot Games announced 99.6 million unique viewers had tuned in to watch, shattering all former viewership records. The greatest player in the game's history, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, wasn't one of them.

"I actually didn't watch worlds," he told me at this year's All-Star weekend in Las Vegas at the HyperX Esports Arena. "It just didn't feel good watching worlds when I wasn't there. Instead, I took time to rest, and then after that, I thought a lot about how I could improve next year."

Twice has the world championship has been held in Faker's home country of South Korea, and both times he was absent from the event. Over his six-year history as a professional player, those two absences were the only times he didn't qualify. Out of his four finals' appearances, he's won the Summoner's Cup three times.

2018 was the worst year of Faker's storied career. While he watched his old rivals succeed and new talent rise to the top of South Korea's domestic league, his team, SK Telecom T1, sputtered throughout the dual seasons. At one point it got so bad that Faker was benched in favor of substitute Choi "Pirean" Jun-sik. SKT attempted everything it could, from roster changes to shifting around coaches to try and salvage the sinking ship, but it was too far gone. SKT failed to make a single finals appearance in 2018 and failed to make it to worlds.

Faker, dejected, was unable to redeem himself from losing in the previous year's world final to Samsung Galaxy.

"I'm not the type of personality to smile a lot," said Faker. "But, if there was something to make me smile, it would be to win a lot next year."

When the universal offseason began across all the professional leagues in League of Legends, all eyes were on Faker. Although his contract was set to expire and allow him the option to explore vast fields of suitors, the free-agency frenzy never came to be, as SKT announced his re-signing. The rest of the starting roster, sans rookie Lee "Effort" Sang-ho, were gone.

From the beginning of the free agency period, SKT made it clear 2018 wasn't acceptable. They believed they still had the best player in the world on their roster, and they were going to build around him. In less than a week, the new roster of SK Telecom T1 was finalized, and Faker, not one to crack a grin, was smiling ear to ear talking about his new teammates.

Provided by Riot Games

"[The] style, [the] color of our team will change," he said. "There are a lot of aces coming from other teams as well, so there will be a lot of expectations on the team. With that in mind, we'll just have to work harder to fulfill a lot of those expectations."

To Faker, the new SK Telecom is a team of aces -- the best players from other LCK teams joining him in his pursuit to regain what he believes is his in the Summoner's Cup. When discussing Kang "Haru" Min-seung, who was on the Samsung team who defeated SKT in the world final two years prior, Faker laughed and said the first thing that came to mind involving Haru was his love of anime. His other new jungler, the mechanically gifted tempo-setter Kim "Clid" Tae-min from China's JD Gaming, his imposing demeanor was what stood out to him the most.

"He's like a bear."

In the top lane, Faker lauded Kim "Khan" Dong-ha as one of the best top laners in the world, someone he expected a lot from in 2018. At the AD carry position, where Faker has only known Bae "Bang" Jun-sik since 2015, T1 brought in Jin Air's undisputed ace -- their pilot -- Park "Teddy" Jin-seong. Last year, Teddy broke the record for most recorded creep kills in a single professional game against SKT and Faker, tallying 1,456 CS in his team's victory. Although statistically one of the best AD carries over the last two years in the domestic league, team success has been hard to come by, with the Jin Air Green Wings failing to make the playoffs even once while Teddy was in the starting roster.

"Atmosphere," said Faker on Teddy. "He's the energy-maker on the team. He makes everyone [on the team] feel good."

Finally, the last player SKT signed to finish off the 10-man roster, was the player who knocked Faker out of his very first professional tournament back in 2013 and went on to win that very same tournament. To tie everything together, SKT signed former world champion and finals MVP Cho "Mata" Se-hyeong to mentor the talented young AD carry Teddy.

Over the years, Mata and Faker clashed, becoming two of the best League of Legends players South Korea ever produced. Even when Mata was off in China with Royal Never Give Up, the two would continue battling on the international stage. Now, following Faker's disastrous 2018 and Mata failing to win the world title with KT Rolster despite entering the world championship as the favorites, they've joined forces.

What does Mata bring to the table on the new SKT?

"He's the brains," said Faker.

On paper, SKT T1's roster in 2019 screams return to greatness. Multiple tournament wins. First-place finishes. World final in Paris, and Faker bringing home his fourth Summoner's Cup to push himself into territory where no one will ever catch him. It won't be that simple, though. As his new teammate Mata will tell him from his time on KT Rolster, a superstar roster on paper doesn't always translate to wins in the real world. It took Mata and his team of stars two years to win their first major title, and even then that was all for naught when the team lost to the eventual world champion Invictus Gaming in a five-game thriller.

Come the new year, Invictus Gaming will be back with their championship roster and kingpin Song "Rookie" Eui-jin in the mid lane. Griffin will be returning with the same starting five that almost won the domestic league last year. Newcomers like DAMWON Gaming with highly-anticipated 18-year-old rookie Heo "ShowMaker" Su will be making their way into the league. Every night, the team, led by Faker, will be playing like it is their own personal world final. Every night, SKT will have to play against a team playing at their absolute best.

That right there is what excites Faker. To be feared instead of pitied for being on a low-ranking team. He still believes he is the best in the world, and with a rejuvenated mental state and a new team around him, he's ready to prove it.

This New Year's, he has only one resolution.

"I'm not just saying this because I'm overconfident, but this year, China took all our crowns away," he said. "Next year, we'll get them all back."