Doublelift is reportedly returning to professional play in 2023

One of the finest League of Legends players, Yiliang ‘Doublelift’ Peng, is reportedly considering coming out of retirement for the upcoming 2023 LCS season.

Former Team Liquid bot laner, Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, is planning a return to professional League of Legends in 2023, according to esports reporter Brieuc “LEC Wooloo” Seeger. Doublelift last competed on a professional level for TSM in the year 2020. After the North American team had a terrible season and finished ninth in the Spring Split, the bot laner made the decision to retire at the end of the season in November of 2020. After leaving the professional scene, he tended to focus on streaming and content creation. Now, it appears that his competitive zeal hasn’t completely subsided, and he could be making a stage comeback in the upcoming LCS season. 

The impact that Doublelift’s comeback would have on the LCS is likely to be at least as significant as Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg’s earlier this year. Wooloo adds that Doublelift has already spoken to a number of LCS teams, so it appears that he has been preparing for this for some time. As he’s currently exploring options and possibilities in hopes to find the right organization and roster that is capable of going to Worlds, he appears to have some conditions for his return. 

Doublelift has more to add to his legacy

During the course of his nearly ten-year career, Doublelift played for many popular North American organizations, including TSM, Counter Logic Gaming, and Team Liquid. With eight LCS titles, five LCS All-Pro first-team awards, and many other accomplishments, Doublelift is undoubtedly one of North America’s most decorated players. Although Doublelift had a tonne of success in the LCS, North America’s domestic league, his international performance wasn’t all that impressive. At the World Championship 2020, Doublefit and TSM finished 13th-16th with a disastrous 0-6 record, after making it to the event as the top seed of North America.

However, it appears that the North American AD carry wants to redeem himself and is looking for a squad that can do so in light of the reports of his return. Since most LCS teams are rumored to already have a bot lane prepared, it will be interesting to see where he lands if he decides to compete. Although it is not officially confirmed if the 29-year-old would participate again, the North American region undoubtedly needs a seasoned pro like him to solidify its dominance on the world stage in the wake of the LCS’ catastrophic Worlds 2022 run. 

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