Doublelift benched from LCS by Team Liquid due to motivation
Team Liquid’s Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng is benched due to motivation problems, the bottom laner confirmed the situation
through Twitter.
Liquid has decided to bench Doublelift for the foreseeable future. Co-CEO Steve Arhancet said
on Twitter
that the team is evaluating the situation week to week, but for now Edward “Tactical” Ra is the starter. Liquid signed Richard “Rikara” Oh as the new bottom laner for Team Liquid Academy, so Tactical and Doublelift can focus on the LCS.
Tactical started over Doublelift in Week 6 when the player was recovering from laryngitis, but apparently there was more behind the decision. On his debut in the LCS, Tactical proved to be a good fit for the team and a more than capable player. With Tactical on the rotation, Liquid looked better and
the team secured to easy wins.
“I’m benched because I had no motivation until very recently. 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,” Doublelift wrote on Twitter.
Doublelift openly expressed how unmotivated he felt. In a recent episode of Squad, the player accepted that his current level of play is low and that it is affecting the team as a whole. According to Doublelift, he received feedback from the coaching staff that criticized his lack of commitment and discipline. Doublelift, who was considered the best AD carry in North America, has
the worst KDA this season
and his performance has been criticized by the community.
Tactical steps in as Doublelift benched for TL
Doublelift’s struggles might be caused by the changes in the LCS format and his outstanding domestic track record. The new LCS format doesn’t grant championship points in Spring, so the teams are competing for a spot in the Mid-Season Invitational and nothing else. In Summer, all ten teams start with a clean slate and the standings will determine the three teams taking part in the World Championship.
Until this year, Liquid was the best team in the LCS. Liquid set the record as the first team to earn four consecutive domestic titles. No one could take them down and it led to a general discomfort for the players. They assumed that no matter what happened, they would win and as a result, Liquid stopped trying.
The team is addressing the problem internally and the community is reacting to it. Liquid’s streamer Christian “IWillDominate” Rivera
called Doublelift out recently. IWillDominate said that Liquid had a better chance with Tactical playing.
Read Also
League of Legends
Here Is What To Expect From the League of Legends Patch 26.17
Ben Boland
It’s less than a week until the release of League of Legends Patch 26.17, and with this patch comes some significant nerfs to popular champions, item adjustments, and targeting roaming supports as mage bottom lanes dominate the meta. While there is plenty to unpack in this week's patch from Riot Games, two champions, Vayne and Xerath, have received the biggest nerfs across the board. Here are some of the biggest ...
League of Legends
Trade on LGD vs Bilibili Gaming at Polymarket — Use Promo Code WINGGPREMAR
Ben Boland
Bilibili Gaming comes into their best-of-three series against LGD Gaming as the overwhelming favorites, with Polymarket traders giving the MSI finalists an 83% implied probability of winning at the time of writing this article. The prediction market doesn’t give LGD much of a chance at all, and with traders backing BLG heavily, it paints a picture of who is most likely to win this series in the LPL Split 3, ...
League of Legends
Which Teams Should Be Panicking Ahead of LoL Worlds 2026?
Ben Boland
The 2026 League of Legends World Championship is fast approaching, with the tournament beginning on 15 October. 19 of the best teams that esports has to offer will do battle in North America for a shot at the Summoner's Cup. For teams like Bilibili Gaming and Hanwha Life Esports, their fates are already sealed without stepping foot on the Rift again, but for the rest of the teams, they will ...
League of Legends
Predictions For Gen.G vs Dplus KIA: Best Value Odds at GGBET
Ben Boland
Two of the more in-form teams in the LCK go head-to-head as Dplus KIA takes on Gen.G on 22 August. Despite the odds leaning more towards a Gen.G win, there are some solid bets to make across the board, not just simply the result. Dplus KIA have shown impressive form throughout the summer and so shouldn’t be discounted in this series. In this preview, we will highlight the best chances to ...
News
The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027
Ben Boland
The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...
Esports Betting
These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4
Ben Boland
The 2026 LCS Summer Split is in full swing, with the eight North American squads all vying for a chance to represent the region at this year's World Championship. With Worlds being on home soil, there is more than just a ticket to Worlds at stake. Each series in the regular season carries weight, as the standings will determine their seeding and potentially their fate in the playoffs. Week four ...
League of Legends
Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends
Hannan Mundia
After Faker and Uzi were inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the European League of Legends player Caps will be the next to get the same treatment. League of Legends has been a cornerstone in the professional gaming scene for over a decade. In that time, a handful of players have managed to leave their mark for all future fans and fellow players to learn ...
