Team Liquid’s Doublelift Releases Video Criticizing Riot’s Handling of League of Legends
Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, the bot lane carry for Team Liquid, has released a video that delves deep into his concerns about Riot’s approach to League of Legends. Doublelift, who holds significant influence in the esports community, teased the video on Twitter, stating that it was the most important video of his career. The release of the video yesterday caused quite a stir among fans.
The video, titled “the downside of a constantly-evolving game,” offers an in-depth analysis of the issues Doublelift perceives in League of Legends. Interestingly, the video covers many of the same points discussed in our recent feature on the same topic.
While our feature mainly focused on recent trends in the game, Doublelift’s video takes a broader look at the history of League of Legends and compares it to other successful competitive games. Doublelift touches on important moments in League’s past and examines how they influenced the game’s growth and popularity.
One standout moment that Doublelift highlights in his video is Faker’s famous outplay against Ryu in 2013. This play sparked significant interest in the champion Zed and showcased the potential for personal connections with certain characters in the game. Doublelift argues that this emotional connection with individual champions plays a crucial role in the game’s success.
Another concern Doublelift raises is the constant state of change in League of Legends. With frequent updates and patches, players often have to constantly adapt, resulting in loss of familiarity and frustration. This constant need for adaptation affects both casual and professional players.
From a professional player’s perspective, Doublelift highlights that the demanding schedule of competitive teams leaves little time for other activities like streaming and community engagement. In contrast, content creators in games like Fortnite have more freedom to foster the community and generate content. Doublelift suggests that the lack of content creation and involvement from professional players is contributing to the decline of League of Legends’ playerbase.
Doublelift proposes a solution: spacing out patches and prioritizing changes that are truly necessary. While change is necessary for growth, he argues that excessive and unnecessary changes alienate both old and new players.
As we approach the end of the current League of Legends season, Doublelift’s concerns align with the sentiments of many players. If Riot plans to address these issues, the upcoming preseason would be the ideal time to implement changes based on player feedback.