"We made it out of groups already." Team Liquid and AD carry Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng were thrilled with the result of the League of Legends World Championship group draw. Doublelift then smiled and pumped his fists. CoreJJ ran his fingers through his hair as Doublelift, 26, turned to the camera. Various players called out the name of ahq e-Sports Club before Vitality midlaner Daniele "Jiizuke" di Mauro revealed it. They were about to find out who their first opponents were in Group D. None of his teams had made it past the group stage. This would be his seventh world championship appearance. His hands were clasped together tightly, as if he was stopping just short of wringing them, a nervous tic while waiting for his perceived fate. He stared at the monitor over coach Jang "Cain" Nu-ri. Only Doublelift's attention remained unwavering. They were attentive in brief flashes whenever their team was mentioned on the words group draw broadcast, and lazily spun side-to-side while scrolling through social media. Just over a week ago, in a hotel room during his team's European boot camp preparing for worlds, Doublelift, his teammates and Team Liquid staff members curled up in branded gaming chairs and stared at Team Liquid assistant coach Kang "Dodo" Jun-hyeok's computer monitor. That's the beauty of a story that's still being written. We may think we already know the ending, given his past results, but we do not. This is the story of Doublelift's 2019 worlds journey. Seven months and an Mid-Season Invitational finals appearance later, Doublelift and Team Liquid, as expected, qualified for the League of Legends World Championship. We both knew that this wasn't really the goal, even with the "short-term" caveat. We're not looking to come out of the gate saying, 'We're going to do well at worlds,' when we haven't even made it yet because that's a bit -" he inhaled sharply "- extremely cocky. You can't do well at MSI unless you make it here. "I'm just hoping I get carried," he said in his next breath, laughing. "Even though I might be the face of the team, I might be the least qualified since everyone has gone much further internationally," Doublelift said, "It's a really different team than any team I've been on before. The roster had two world champions, a Mid-Season Invitational runner-up in Jake "Xmithie" Puchero and a League of Legends World Championship star in Jensen. His second was that, with the recent arrivals of midlaner Nicolaj "Jensen" Jensen and support Jo "CoreJJ" Yong-in to the team, he might be the least-experienced member of 2019's revamped Team Liquid lineup. Cody Sun shines away from the spotlight in League of Legendsĭoublelift's first remark to me was that his offseason had been too short.We all know the tale of Doublelift's international struggles, but each year we listen, again and again, and hope for a different result. Team Liquid AD carry Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng celebrates after his team's victory against Invictus Gaming at the Mid-Season Invitational on May 17 in Taipei, Taiwan. It has a mix of comforting familiarity and the exciting potential to discover something new within its pages this time around. The narrative takes on a different context every time you open the cover. His story here is well-worn, its edges tattered like your favorite book. They hope for an ending that's really another beginning: Doublelift making it past the worlds group stage and into the playoff bracket. ![]() Fans, detractors and the entirety of the NA LoL community tune in annually to see if this year will be different. His world championship story thus far, however, has had a fixed ending of failure.Īs the League of Legends World Championship tournament has grown and evolved, so has Doublelift. He has a record-setting seven League Championship Series titles. He has lived most of his career as the face of North American League of Legends, recognized for his skill when LoL esports was still in its infancy. Most League of Legends fans are familiar with Doublelift's tale. But I hadn't actually heard his story in person. He's open and agreeable.Īs we walked into an abandoned practice room, we realized that this was the first time I was interviewing him, despite knowing of each other's existence in the League of Legends esports space for years. I would have been surprised that he agreed to the interview, but Doublelift is well-accustomed to working with media members. In between promotional photos for developer Riot Games, Doublelift was quieter than usual, and when he did speak, his voice was raspy. Various League of Legends Championship Series players milled around the LCS Arena in Santa Monica, California, for media day before the regular season was to begin. The first time I interviewed Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng, he was ill.
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