Esport is so much more than just the game played competitively. Storylines, emotions, players and legendary moments all come together to give shape to our passion. Every week we will take a closer look at one of these. This week’s legend is Doublelift.
Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng is League of legends resident superstar and meme at the same time. Currently he is playing for TeamSoloMid (TSM) after ending his three year stint at Team Liquid.
Doublelift is THE standout player of the North American region, having won the championship seven times. But even if he is not on the rift turning heads with his AD Carry play, his antics off-stage have earned him a devoted and loyal fanbase. If you are thinking trashtalking and League of Legends, Doublelift is easily the name that comes to mind first.
Doublelift’s beginnings
His professional careeer picked up steam in 2011 as he made it to the semifinals of the first Worlds Championship with Epik Gamer. Although he lost the match to fnatic, who went on to take the entire championship, Doublelift had made his mark on the international stage.
Amidst this initial success he was thrown out of his parental home as an 18-year old, a fact that overshadowed his liftoff in the world of LoL.
Undeterred by that Doublelift continued to rack up achievements and established himself as one of the best mechanical players in NA in 2012. But 2012 was also the year when Doublelift’s legendary quote: “I am the greatest, everyone else is trash.” fully became a meme as he was eliminated in the groupstage of Worlds with CLG.
Doublelift stayed with CLG until 2015 and not only helped prevent relegation but also took the Summer Split 2015 title. The star ADC then moved to TSM for the first time and continued his trophy winning spree.
Success despite tragedy
During his stint with TSM he won another two domestic titles before he joined Team Liquid full-time in November 2017 after having played for them on loan prior. Right off the bat Team Liquid was off to a good start with him at the helm as TL won the Spring Split 2018. Their Summer Split was also going according to plan until tragedy struck Doublelift. His brother assaulted his parents with a knife and killed his mother, with Doublelift’s father being wounded. Just a week after that ordeal Doublelift played in the finals of the LCS Summer Split 2018 and won yet again with Team Liquid. Seven championships but no international title
Seven championships but no international title
With seven domestic titles Doublelift is without a doubt the most successful player of North America. But for a player of his caliber that is not enough as international success has eluded him for the longest time. Doublelift not making it out of groups became the living meme embodiment of NA’s struggles in LoL and it took him until 2019 to finally reach playoffs at an international event. Second place at 201’s Mid-Season Invitational remains to this day the highest international finish Doublelift has achieved.
While the curse of the group stage exit seems to be contained to Worlds, Doublelift is still searching for the elusive international title. But even without a title on the biggest stage Yiliang Peng has endeared himself to the LoL community worldwide, not just for his gameplay in the face of adversity but also for his trashtalking attitude.
Now back at TSM after departing Team Liquid in April, Doublelift is once more on the quest to establish a lasting legacy
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Read more:
- Doublelift: “We have to win, it’d be embarrassing if we didn’t win”
- From Liquid to TSM – A new chance for Doublelift
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