Keria will remain with T1 alongside Faker until 2029.
T1 have locked in a deal for their League of Legends (LoL) Support player 
Ryu “Keria” Min-seok, who is now set to stay with T1 for the long haul after the organisation confirmed a fresh three-year extension. Keria's contract extension was signed during the 2026 LoL Champions Korea (LCK) T1 Homeground event on 26 April in Yeongjongdo, Incheon.
The deal, which will push his stay with the team through to the 2029 season, was sealed in front of many fans.
How Keria’s contract extension with T1 came together
T1 revealed Keria’s contract extension live during its 2026 Homeground event in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, turning a routine roster update into a fan-facing moment and underlining his importance to the team.
Keria expressed his gratitude to T1 and its fans for sharing such a special moment with him in an emotional speech after signing the contract on-stage. In the speech, translated by Cony on X (formerly Twitter), Keria thanked his fans and his teammates:
“First of all, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to share such good news with all the fans in a place as meaningful as this,” he said, sharing that he still had many dreams and goals he wishes to achieve. “Because I believe that by working together with T1 and all of you, I can reach those goals, I’ve decided to move forward with the team.” He asked for the support from the fans once again saying: “I hope all the fans will continue to walk this path with me. Thank you very much.”
The announcement was also published on T1’s official social media pages, including X (formerly Twitter):
“Keria continues his journey with T1 until 2029,” the announcement read. “T1 will always be right behind him with our endless support, making sure the name 'Legendary Genius Monster' continues to shine brilliantly in the chapters to come.”
T1 also released a video with Keria’s message about his contract extension:
“When I first started playing support, it wasn't a role that held this much influence,” he said in the opening portion of the video, adding that he “had a strong desire to break those stereotypes, ” and sharing that he gets “incredibly inspired by seeing how supports exert significant influence” when they’re able to support their not only the bottom lane but the rest of the map as well.
“To me, my teammates are the '9th Dan’ who helped me unleash my full potential. They are the ones who have allowed me to experience many things that are difficult to come by in life, so I always hold a deep sense of meaning for them. I just wanted to be the best.” The “9th Dan” (구단) is commonly referred to in Taekwondo as the highest active rank, representing a Grandmaster.
Keria shared that his time with T1 was not easy, and “there were many times I wavered, but I really wanted to make it happen here.”
Keria said that he was “incredibly grateful to [his] teammates who helped [him] run alongside them, and to the fans who have always cheered [him] on.” He ended his statement sharing that he plans “to wrap up what I have done so far and build a new career for Keria.”
The announcement also lands well ahead of his previous deal’s expiry on 16 November 2026, effectively removing any short-term uncertainty around one of the team’s core pieces.
How long is Keria staying with T1?
The new agreement keeps Keria tied to T1 until 2029. He had already renewed in late 2024 on a two-year deal following his second consecutive World Championship win, but this latest extension adds long-term stability once again.With this update, Keria is now on track to spend up to nine years with T1, assuming no changes.
Keria’s career in LoL Esports and T1
Keria’s path to this point traces back to his trainee days with Kingzone DragonX, now known as 
DRX where he was first fielded as part of the DragonX Academy.
He then debuted with DRX in June 2020 and quickly built a reputation for high-level mechanics and proactive playmaking. His early performances led to him being described as an “all-time genius prodigy,” a label that followed him into his move to T1.
His trophy cabinet began filling soon after. He secured his first LCK title in Spring 2022 with the legendary ZOFGK roster, which included Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, Moon “Oner” Hyeon-joon, LoL G.O.A.T. Sang-hyeok “Faker” Lee, and Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong The roster first reached the LoL League of Legends World Finals in 2022, where they experienced heartbreak after losing against Keria’s former teammates in DRX, which included HyeokGyu “Deft” Kim.
In 2023, despite many difficulties, Keria and the rest of the ZOFGK roster stuck together and won T1 and Faker’s fourth LoL World Championship title, after seven long years. The roster once again won the World Championship title in 2024, and faced roster changes the season after, with Zeus leaving the team.
In 2025, with Hyeon-joon “Doran” Choi replacing Zeus in the top lane, T1 once again claimed the World Championship title, making Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, and Keria the only LoL players with triple back-to-back world championship titles.
Beyond the LCK and Worlds stage, Keria also represented South Korea at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where he earned a gold medal as part of the national squad, which also exempted him from South Korea’s military duty for earning the highest honours for his country.
Keria to headline next T1 documentary release
T1 has also confirmed that Keria will be the focus of its next documentary in the ongoing CARVED series, which spotlights the personal stories behind its players’ careers. The series previously featured Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong in 2024 and Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun in 2025.
Keria’s episode is scheduled to premiere on 3 May 2026 and is expected to explore his development as a player, from his early competitive days to his rise as one of the most influential supports in professional League of Legends. Like previous entries, the documentary will be released through T1’s official YouTube channel.
T1 contract timelines and upcoming schedule
Keria’s extension adds to T1’s increasingly stable long-term roster outlook. Faker is also signed through 2029, while Oner and Su-hwan “Peyz” Kim (who replaced Gumayusi for 2026) remain under contract until 2028. Doran , meanwhile, is currently on a shorter deal that runs through the end of the 2026 season.
T1 will return to action on 29 April, where they are set to face 
Nongshim RedForce in Week 5 of the LCK 2026 Rounds 1–2. The split will determine the six teams advancing to Road to MSI, with only the top two securing qualification for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), set to take place in Daejeon, South Korea.
