What T1 Base Camp Is

T1 is the League of Legends team behind Faker, and the first team to win the World Championship three years running, from 2023 to 2025. The 2025 final in Chengdu gave Faker his sixth world title. That kind of record builds a following that wants somewhere to go between matches. T1 Base Camp is the team's answer.

At its core, each Base Camp is a PC bang, Korea's pay-by-the-hour gaming room. If you've never been in one, our guide to Korean PC bang culture covers the basics. What changes here is everything around the computers. The chairs are T1 red and white. The walls carry the team's championship history. There's an official merch shop, food named after players, and wall-sized LED screens that turn the room into a watch party on match days.

T1 says more than half of Base Camp visitors aren't Korean, which tells you who the place is built for. As of early October 2026 there are three branches:

• Hongdae, Seoul: the original, opened in May 2023 and open 24 hours.
• Haeundae, Busan: opened in December 2025, with Korea's first esports-themed pub.
• Gangnam, Seoul: the new flagship, soft-opened on October 3, 2026.

The Hongdae branch has also become a landmark in its own right. In June 2026, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made it his first public stop in Seoul. He met the T1 League of Legends roster there, told the crowd that Korea is the birthplace of esports, and handed Faker a signed GeForce RTX 5090.

Hongdae: The Original, Open 24 Hours

The first Base Camp sits in the basement of 147 Yanghwa-ro in Mapo-gu, a short walk from Exit 1 of Hongik University Station. That station is served by Line 2, the AREX airport line and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, so you can come straight from Incheon Airport. Look for the T1 signs and take the stairs down. It's open around the clock.

It's big. The gaming floor covers about 260 pyeong (roughly 860 square meters) with more than 250 seats at opening. Standard seats come with T1-branded gaming chairs. Elite seats give you a desk about 20 centimeters wider, and at launch they cost 500 won an hour more than a standard seat. A large cartoon figure of Faker greets you near the lounge, and the walls are covered in player name signs.

The shop is the other draw. You'll find team jerseys, player figures, gaming peripherals, and consoles and games from Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox. Stock rotates often, so a second visit later in your trip can turn up something new.

Food comes from the in-house kitchen, and outside food and drinks aren't allowed. The menu has always leaned on the players. At opening, Faker's pick was a seafood jjamppong ramen, and the player-named dishes ran from about 4,000 to 7,500 won. Expect the line-up to change as the roster does.

On match days the LED screens show T1's League of Legends games, and the room fills fast. Arrive well before the first game if you want a seat. Afterward, the rest of Hongdae, with its street performers, late bars and vintage shops, is right upstairs.

Gangnam: The New Flagship by Sinnonhyeon

T1's third Base Camp soft-opened on October 3, 2026, about two minutes on foot from Sinnonhyeon Station on Line 9 and the Shinbundang Line. At about 476 pyeong (roughly 1,570 square meters), it's close to twice the size of the Hongdae branch. T1 calls the concept "Capital of Dominion," and it's clearly meant as the brand's showpiece.

The Trophy Room is where most fans start. It tells T1's championship story with player handprints, match jerseys and an audio zone. Near the entrance, a kinetic art piece based on Faker's signature pose makes its first public appearance here.

The PC zone runs 24/7. Every seat has an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor and an RTX 5070 graphics card or better. Select seats step up to the RTX 5090 with Samsung OLED QHD monitors running above 500Hz. If you're gaming with friends, there are private Focus Rooms, Duo Rooms and Team Boxes, plus an Arena for group matches.

Beyond the PCs, there's a gear zone where you can test the latest equipment, and T1 Racing, an F1-style simulator on Samsung Odyssey G9 monitors with Logitech rigs. The Creative Lab offers custom marking, so you can personalize what you buy. Unmanned gachapon machines run 24 hours. The T1 Flagship Store has moved here from the team's headquarters and grown in the process, which makes this the place for the widest range of official merch.

Hide On Bouche is the restaurant, and its name riffs on Faker's in-game handle, Hide on bush. The head chef who cooks for the players at T1's headquarters runs the menu: steak, pizza, desserts, beer and cocktails, served from 11 a.m. to midnight. It's a proper sit-down meal, not PC bang snacks.

Because this is still a soft opening, check T1's official channels for the latest on events and any zones still finding their feet.

Busan: Base Camp and a Pub in Haeundae

The Busan branch stands on Gunam-ro, the pedestrian shopping street between Haeundae Station and the beach. Its T1 PUB and shop opened first, on October 14, 2025, and the full venue had its grand opening on December 12, 2025.

The layout is circular, built around a "fortress" idea in T1's black, red and white, with exhibits on the team's competitive history along the way. Inside you'll find:

• T1 PUB: billed as Korea's first esports-themed pub. Big screens show matches, and you can watch with a beer in hand.
• Premium PC zone and private rooms: split into seat grades, like the Seoul branches.
• T1 Arena: a tournament and event space that expands to six-versus-six play.
• T1 Racing and T1 CUBE: a sim-racing corner and a flexible space for exhibitions and fan programs.
• Official goods store and photo booth: for the souvenir and the selfie.
• Player-signature menu: food and drinks inspired by the team.

Busan also hosts local tournaments and programs run by T1's esports academy, including tryouts. For a traveler, the simplest plan is a morning on Haeundae Beach and an evening match at the pub. It's the only Base Camp where the watch party comes with a draft beer.

Paying, Signing In and House Etiquette

How paying works. You buy PC time by the hour, either at the kiosk or from the screen at your seat, and pay by card or cash. Premium seats and private rooms cost more than standard seats. Overall, expect a little more than a neighborhood PC bang. Prices are posted on site and change from time to time, so check the board before you top up. The merch shop works like any store: you don't need to buy PC time to browse it.

Signing in. Korean PC bangs link your seat to a member account. At Hongdae, visitors have been able to sign in with a Google account, which saves you the Korean phone verification many PC bangs ask for. If the screen comes up in Korean, ask at the counter and staff can help.

Know the age rule. Korean law keeps under-19s out of PC bangs from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. unless a parent or guardian is with them. Teens on their own should plan a daytime visit, and anyone who looks young should carry ID.

Match days. Viewing parties are the best and busiest time to go. Arrive early, and check T1's official social channels for event notices, since special programs and player appearances are announced there. Want to see a live LCK match rather than a screening? Head to LoL Park in Jongno, the league's home arena.

House etiquette. A few habits keep things easy for everyone:

• Keep your headset on and your voice down. Many people around you are mid-game.
• Ask before you film or photograph other people or their screens.
• Don't hold seats with bags on busy nights. Seats are paid by the hour.
• Order food from your seat or the counter instead of bringing it in.
• If a player appears at an event, follow staff directions. Don't follow or crowd them.