Doublelift reunites 2016 TSM roster for fans hit by coronavirus
Devon H. March 16, 2020
With the coronavirus outbreak putting the LCS and LEC Spring Splits on hiatus for the indefinite future, pro players and casters are keeping League of Legends fans entertained by hosting in-house matches.
For the LEC, Christy “Ender” Frierson led the way. He and personalities like Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere hosted a makeshift event for the community. Well-known European pros like Ramsus “Caps” Winther and Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau competed in the casual showmatch with thousands of viewers tuning in. Ender hosted two whole days of in-houses
The LCS followed suit. Ovilee May hosted one and attracted over 20,000 concurrent viewers. But one of the competitors, Peter “Doublelift” Peng, reached over 40,000 on his personal stream.
TSM reunites behind Doublelift during coronavirus crisis
Doublelift pulled this off by reuniting the 2016 Team SoloMid roster. Before the dominance of Team Liquid, that TSM roster was widely regarded as among the best North American teams ever put together. Fans were able to reminisce while also enjoying some semi-competitive League of Legends during their quarantine.
This brought Doublelift back to play with former teammates including Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg, Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen, Kevin "Hauntzer" Yarnell, and Doublelift's lane partner Vincent "Biofrost" Wang.
With the splits winding down, the leagues being put on hold came as a disappointment for many. Just before the LCS closed, Cloud9 suffered its first defeat of the season to TSM. That loss dropped the team’s record to 13-1, but C9 still managed to mathematically secure top seed status in the process.
In the LEC, G2 Esports secured first place from Fnatic, who were keeping up with them in the standings. G2 currently sits at 11-3 with Fnatic and Origen just behind them at 10-4.
While many are disappointed at the postponement of major events, closures like that of the LEC and LCS are vital for preventing the spread of the outbreak.
According to reports by the World Health Organization and the United States’ Centers for Disease Control, there are over 175,000 global cases of the coronavirus. And while 77,000 people have recovered, the pandemic has still claimed 6,717 lives. Thankfully, the League community can count on their favorite personalities to relieve some tension during these difficult times.