Doublelift Joins 100 Thieves in Pursuit of Competitive Glory
For some professional League of Legends players, retirement is not a desirable option. Despite the allure of a more relaxed lifestyle, the competitive drive often pulls them back onto the stage. This is exactly what happened for North American superstar Doublelift, who joined 100 Thieves during the offseason in response to his “competitive itch.”
Revamping the Roster
In a recent video, Doublelift explained that after TSM’s disappointing performance at the 2020 World Championship, the organization decided to rebuild the roster around him and their departed jungler Spica. Doublelift was determined to continue his playing career, and his excitement for the upcoming year reached new heights when negotiations began with veteran support Hu “SwordArt” Shuo-Chieh.
Exploring Options in Free Agency
When negotiations with SwordArt fell through, Doublelift wanted to explore his options in the free agency market. However, TSM’s co-owner Andy “Reginald” Dinh was not pleased with this lack of commitment and chose to promote Academy AD carry Lost instead of keeping Doublelift. At this point, the star marksman had two choices: join a weaker LCS organization or pursue full-time streaming.
“I really loved streaming,” Doublelift admitted. “I had so much passion for it in the first year… It’s probably an open secret at this point that streaming makes multiple times more money than playing pro, and you have to put half as much time.”
A Return to Pro Play
In his second year, Doublelift started attending live League events for co-streaming purposes. While these events were enjoyable, they also reignited his competitive spirit. Deciding to return to professional play for the 2023 season, Doublelift had concerns about his level of play after being away for two years.
He reached out to all 10 LCS teams to gauge their interest, and to his surprise, received several offers. With multiple teams vying for his services, his self-confidence returned, and he ultimately chose 100 Thieves as his new home. The team’s strong branding, top-tier staff, transparent LCS operations, and powerful roster were all factors in his decision.
“Taking a break for anything, for anybody, is going to make you worse at whatever you do,” he said with a laugh. “I do fully believe that I’m going to get back into form at some point. It’s going to take me some time. It might take me a few months, it might even take me half a split, or the whole split. I do think that I’m going to get back to form and be the best at my position again.”
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