If you’re keeping up with the drama in the LCS, you likely heard about Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng being benched by Team Liquid. Up until recently, this was supposedly done due to the player developing laryngitis, but recent statements seem to hint that there was more going on that simple sickness.
In an interview earlier in the season, Doublelift mentioned his difficulty in getting motivated for this year’s Spring Split. After winning it several times, it seemed that the pro was just done being interested in the tournament. On top of that, the tournament wouldn’t be giving any points towards Worlds, giving Doublelift even more of a reason to grow complacent.
It showed in his performances as well. Doublelift turned in a few sad shifts in the early games of the season that had everyone confused. Of those that were scratching their heads, his teammates were the most concerned.
“I’m benched because I had no motivation until very recently,” Doublelift stated on Twitter, which we’ve placed below. “Being sick and unable to compete gave me my passion back, but too late. I’m sorry towards every one of my teammates and I’ll be working from now on to regain their trust.”
Recently, IWillDominate, a retired professional League of Legends player and associate of Team Liquid, made statements on the lazy attitude that Doublelift was showcasing. We discussed the statements in full here, but the gist of it is that Dom was far from interested in seeing Doublelift return from the bench until he had rediscovered his passion and came with the intent to try. Instead, he favored keeping his substitute in, Tactical, of whom is technically not quite as good as Doublelift but was playing with passion and interest.
Some are considering it too little, too late. Doublelift’s statements weren’t careless or said off the cuff – Peng mentioned having losing interest in the tournament several times, even on camera in interviews. This isn’t a case of a player being caught saying something out of anger, but Doublelift’s opinions.
So, is it fair for him to change his mind now that he has to face the repercussions of what he’s said? It seems like he only began to regret what he had said and regain his passion when TL decided they had had enough and benched him in favor of a player that was going to play with their heart. Should Doublelift be able to walk off of the bench just because he said he’s sorry?
