After a disappointing performance in the LCS 2020 Spring Split, the future of the ADC seems compromised. Since on April 16th, it was revealed that Team Liquid is ready to trade his contract.
According to a recent Tweet by journalist Travis Gafford, Team Liquid is ready to transfer the contract of its star player, Yiliang ” Doublelift ” Peng.
Based on multiple sources, Team Liquid has placed Doublelift's contract up for trade. @TheeMarkZ and I discuss the teams he could go to and the implicationshttps://t.co/uGiAvEYyAa pic.twitter.com/rYY0dN1zQw
— Travis Gafford (@TravisGafford) April 16, 2020
The rise of Doublelift
The Asian star has been a key figure in the League of Legends esports scene since its inception. He is one of the rare veterans to have participated in the Season 1 World Championship in 2011. Peng started his career under the banner of Epik Gamer, but it was after joining Counter Logic Gaming that his career really took off. Until 2015, Doublelift played alongside Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black and both were labeled one of the most famous pairs of LCS NA: the duo “Rush Hour”.
However, with success, Doublelift started to become an arrogant player and CLG decided to exclude him from the roster. The ADC star joined their lifelong rivals, Team SoloMid, with whom he won two LCS titles. In 2018, Doublelift learned on Reddit that TSM has decided to replace him, and he joined Team Liquid with the intention of “destroying the legacy of TSM and making them regret their decision.”
The rest, we know it well. Four LCS titles and a meteoric and unexpected rise to the final of the MSI 2019. Team Liquid established itself as the dominant team on the North American scene.
Doublelift failed to deliver solid results
However, since the start of Spring Split 2020, the roster has only shown heartbreaking performances. As a result, the side had to settle for ninth place finish. The team undoubtedly suffers from a lack of cohesion, caused by apparent communication problems. Let’s be honest, Doublelift failed to reproduce the miracle of 2018. He failed to become the savior that Team Liquid when his side needed him.
Of course, the visa issues surrounding the importation of Mads “Broxah” Brock-Petersen played a big part in the failure of Team Liquid. Yet Doublelift himself admitted that he had gone through a period when he had lost all motivation. Besides, the veteran only showed rather poor performances during this split – and the quadruple champions did not even qualify for the Playoffs. The team had a disastrous Spring Season and, in the midst of this turmoil, Doublelift is not even a shadow of his former brilliance.
Where Will Doublelift Go?
The internet is going wild on where here Doublelift could end up. He is unlikely to join his former teams since he left them on very bad terms. The most likely candidates are FlyQuest, Golden Guardians or 100 Thieves. Since all of these sides had a decent season but really need to upgrade their rosters. But will Doublelift compromise on his $2 million salary? Since these teams are not the big rollers and the big guns will surely not be interested in signing him, as he has surely passed his prime.
