Doublelift doubles back, retires from professional League of Legends—again

Professional League of Legends player and arguably the greatest North American pro of all time Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng has retired from the game’s competitive scene.

Doublelift announced his retirement from professional League in a 15-minute video posted to social media earlier today. In the video, he broke down his career trajectory, reasons for retirement, and plans for the future.

This is not the first time Doublelift has retired from League. In 2020, following a disappointing end to that season with TSM, Doublelift stepped away from the game and briefly pursued a full-time streaming career. But he returned for the 2023 season for a one-year stint with 100 Thieves. Now, he’s stepping away from the game “for real this time.”

Doublelift, as it stands, is one of the most decorated and accomplished players in not just LCS history, but professional League history. His eight LCS championships are the most by any player ever, including his longtime teammate Bjergsen. 

He had a stretch between 2016 and 2019 where he was on the championship-winning team in six out of seven splits. Most notably, Doublelift was a consistent catalyst for winning during his days as a professional player. On every team for which he made an appearance (except 100 Thieves), he either won an LCS title or took the team to an international tournament. In many cases, he did both. 

“I feel like I’ve accomplished everything that I have set out to accomplish except for one thing, which is to win Worlds,” Doublelift said in his video. “That’s the last thing I was never able to get to, but the cycle of setting a goal for yourself and grinding, and then setting a new goal for yourself, it kind of reflects everything.” 

Although Doublelift was never able to capture the Summoner’s Cup, it’s undeniable how much of an effect he had on the League scene in the U.S. In his video, Doublelift reflected on his time with CLG and the undeniable triumph he and that team had when they won their first championship in 2015 over longtime rivals TSM. He also looked back on the time he spent with TSM and Team Liquid. “We had such high expectations, and we still met them,” he said. 

In total, Doublelift spent 11 years as a professional player, stamping himself as one of the best to ever do it in that time. 

“People grew up watching me in middle school, high school, and college, and I grew up with them,” Doublelift said, looking back on his decade-long career as a pro, which began when he was just 17 years old and now closes just a few months after his 30th birthday. “We kind of went through a lot side-by-side.”