Ruler: The Man Who Continues To Chase Dreams

Not everyone gets to live their dream — but that doesn’t stop us from chasing them anyway. And few are constantly chasing their dreams more than esports competitors.    

In LoL Esports, almost every pro player ultimately dreams of standing on the biggest stages, lifting the most important trophies, earning the highest titles. Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk made that dream a reality for himself back in 2017, when he and his team, Samsung Galaxy (now known as Gen.G), defeated SKT T1 to finally claim the title of ‘Best in the World.’ 

And yet, for Ruler — and for many like him — it wasn’t enough to make the dream a reality just once. What do you do when you finally scale the highest mountain? The only thing you can do: search for the next peak.

Ruler’s growth in the LPL

Despite the domestic success Ruler had after his World Championship victory with Gen.G, and despite the fact that he’d spent most of his career on that team, he left at the end of 2022 to play under JD Gaming (JDG) in the LPL. At the time, fans and experts were very surprised at this move, but he explained at the time that he wanted to step outside of his comfort zone and prove his worth outside of Gen.G.    

“In order to prove myself and be recognized, it felt like nothing less than championship victories was ever enough,” he said.

And prove himself he did. Ruler was able to claim two LPL titles and his first Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) title under JDG’s banner, proving that he was not only able to adapt to a wholly new environment, but also succeed in it.

“There are clear stylistic differences in playing in the LPL as to the LCK,” Ruler said. “LCK teams are more strict when it comes to map rotations, playmaking, and movement as a single unit. They capitalize hard when it’s their ‘turn’ in a game, while respecting the opponent’s ‘turn’, and [they] abide by the ‘turn-based’ set of rules within the game. In the LPL however, it was more as if they were much more eager to punish even a slight misstep, whether that’s a misplay or even being mispositioning. They’re much more eager to skirmish.

“One example when I found this to be very evident would be when I played on Team Korea for the Asian Games. When we were all practicing together under the same roof, Kanavi and I, coming out of the LPL, would look at the game differently as to the other 4 players from the LCK (Zeus/Faker/Chovy/Keria). That’s when I realized that I was really influenced by the stylistic difference of the LPL.”   
 

“For me, Gen.G is and always will be like home”

   
According to Ruler, his return to Gen.G was “all the stars aligning in the right place.” 

“I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to return to Gen.G,” he said. “After I left, the team won a LOT of championship trophies, and they produced exceptional results, especially domestically. That led to representing the LCK as the #1 seed in many international tournaments, so while their international results pale in comparison to that of their domestic results, there’s no denying that they were a successful team.”

Ruler added, with a laugh: “At the same time, I’ve also won LPL titles and an MSI title, so while a very tiny, competitively evil side of myself that exists in the back of my head also hoped that they’d do worse without me, I was very ecstatic to see them do so well. Due to their success, I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to return, but all the stars aligned in the right place, and I’m thrilled to be here once again. For me, Gen.G is and always will be like home.”

Ruler turns 27 in 2025. He’s one of the oldest active pro players in LoL Esports, so for many fans and experts alike, the news that he had signed with Gen.G under a three-year contract was a surprise to many. But for Ruler, it was an obvious choice to return home.    

“At this point in time, I think that I have about three years left in my pro career,” he said. “That’s why Gen.G’s multi-year contract deal was so appealing to me. However, I’ll never say never: if my form is still on point after those three years, I’ll definitely keep playing. At the end of the day, results are what matters not just for me, but for the organization as well. Gen.G also offered incredibly appealing incentives that came with results, and I’m confident in myself to produce them, so there weren’t any reasons not to sign with them.”

Ruler’s Definition of Success

By some metric, Ruler is one of the few players who can say he has truly “succeeded” in competitive League of Legends, since he’s achieved most pro players’ ultimate goal. But what is success, really? Does achieving it mean that you’ve successfully lived your dream? 

“At this point in time, there isn’t a particular thing nor a goal that gives me that drive to win championships,” Ruler said. “It’s now become something that I just do. When people dream in their sleep, it’s hard for someone to have the same dream on different nights. Lifting the Summoner’s Cup was a moment that felt like something straight out of a dream, and it’s a moment I hope to relive as many times as I can. At the end of the day, all pro players aspire to win championships. I was and still am one of those people. However, because everybody is chasing that same dream, I don’t believe that winning championships defines what it means to achieve success.”

For Ruler, at least, lifting the Summoner’s Cup was just one part of it. In a way, the chasing of the dream is what makes it really worth it, and most competitors aren’t content to just rest on their laurels after they’ve achieved it one time. One sweet moment of victory isn’t enough for a lifetime — they want to feel it again.

“I think my definition of success is all the lessons that I learned to shape who I am today,” Ruler said. “Back then, I was just a kid who loved League of Legends. I didn’t know what it meant nor what I needed to do to be a properly functioning adult in our society. Sure, it’s a different environment than a school or a company, so many may think that you learn a lot less in comparison to such types of institutions. And I agree with that sentiment, but there were a lot of lessons that I learned on what it means to be an adult in our society throughout my pro career. And such lessons cannot be replicated anywhere else.

“From gaining all that in-game knowledge, taking steps to take care of myself physically to ensure better performance, to simply making lots of money by doing what I love, they all fit into my definition of success. That’s why I don’t believe that failing to achieve your goals does not mean failure. If you learned something, then you’ve achieved success. And I think such success will eventually lead to your dream.”

Ruler will finally make his grand return to the LCK in 2025. Looking ahead, he explained how he feels like a kid making his debut in 2016 once again, but with a different set of goals. 

“When I first debuted, the goal and the dream was to make it to Worlds and eventually win it,” he said. “Returning to the LCK after two years makes me feel as if I’m making my debut once again by competing in the LCK under Gen.G. I can feel the nerves, but also feel that same excitement that I felt back as a rookie. Maybe that’s why my desire to win Worlds once again feels especially strong this year. I do have a goal this year. I want everybody watching my matches to be really entertained. I want them to think, ‘Wow, Gen.G’s matches have all been banger after banger. When are they playing again? I can’t wait to watch another Gen.G game’. I want to get people excited to watch my games, and I want them to convert them into fans.”

As we stand on the precipice of the 2025 LCK Season beginning, it’s looking like a season of new beginnings for everyone. And with the competition in the LCK more fierce than ever, there’s no question that Ruler will do everything he can to chase his dream once more, this time back on home soil. Only time will tell whether he’ll be able to grasp it or not.