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
Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule
Hannan Mundia
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Esports Betting
Team Secret Whales stun Top Esports as LCP finally breaks the East’s Bo5 wall
Wasif Ahmed
In the first massive upset of the tournament, Team Secret Whales beat Top Esports to kick them out of the lower bracket of MSI 2026. This is Asia-Pacific’s first ever Bo5 win against the East since the creation of the leagues in 2013. Now, only Bilibili Gaming is left for the LPL and the power rankings are all mixed up. TSW didn’t just beat TES, they completely outclassed them. Kicking ...
Esports Betting
Karmine Corp is the third LEC team to go winless against major regions at MSI
Wasif Ahmed
With their 0-3 defeat against Team Liquid, Karmine Corp is now the third LEC team to bomb out of the Mid-Season Invitational without taking a single game off of the top four regions. Before them were MAD Lions in 2023 and G2 Esports’ infamous debut run in 2016. NA, on the other hand, has only once gone winless against major regions. Karmine Corp's MSI 2026 run included taking down the ...
Esports Betting
G2 Esports reverse sweeps Top Esports at MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
It starts with success, and Fnatic is now avenged. G2 Esports started the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational by beating Top Esports 3-2. After starting the series 0-2, they managed to pull off the first reverse sweep in main stage MSI history. The 2026 Mid-Season Invitational started with seven back-to-back 3-0 series. G2 finally broke that streak by beating TES in five games. In doing so, they also broke a much longer-standing ...
Esports Betting
Why are ranged top laners so common in League of Legends?
Wasif Ahmed
In League of Legends Season 2026, top lane has been filled with ranged champions. Outside of the usual few, marksmen and even control mages have found a new home in top. This change in meta is much to the displeasure of players who prefer facing tanks and bruisers. Why did ranged top laners become so frequent and how does one beat them? LoL has always had a few ranged characters ...
Esports Betting
Bilibili Gaming beats T1 at MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
Bilibili Gaming faced T1 in round 1 of the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational. In five games, BLG took down the World champion. The LPL first seed now moves on to face LYON in round 2, while T1 goes to the lower bracket. BLG went up against the LCK’s second seed, and the match turned into a brawl, a rare sight for this tournament. That said, even though T1 won two games, ...
Esports Betting
BLG vs T1: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
BLG and T1 are among the favorites to win the 2026 MSI tournament, which is why so many fans are anticipating their match in the bracket stage’s first round. After BLG’s performance at last year’s World Championship, those who haven’t kept up with the team’s performance may not expect much from it. However, with the LPL team’s revamped roster and strategic approach to League of Legends, there’s a good chance ...
