Doublelift admits he has “lots of catching as much as do” within the LCS

After his dominant 14-0 arduous carry efficiency towards Group Liquid, Dexerto sat down with Doublelift to get his ideas on the present bot lane meta, whether or not he doubted himself popping out of retirement, and his lengthy historical past alongside Bjergsen.

Saying that Peter ‘Doublelift’ Peng was a participant that LCS followers had been excited to see come again is an understatement. His popping out of retirement to play alongside Søren ‘Bjergsen’ Bjerg was a dream come true for old-school LCS followers – one thing that many thought we’d by no means see once more.

What’s extra, 100 Thieves are off to a reasonably stable begin. Their losses to Cloud9 and FlyQuest apart, 100 Thieves have been performing effectively. With the present meta leaning so closely on bot lane, a lot of the accountability to hold has been placed on Doublelift, and he’s taken that accountability in stride.

Whereas he had doubts going into the cut up, lots of these have been dispelled for each himself and his followers. Dexerto requested Doublelift about what it was like transitioning again into professional play, his ideas on the double-ADC bot lane meta, and his storied historical past alongside Bjergsen.

Doublelift’s meteoric return to the LCS on 100 Thieves

Regardless of an extended historical past of home dominance, LCS followers definitely had their doubts when Doublelift introduced he’d be popping out of retirement. Although he’s remained a robust participant in solo queue and Champions Queue by his time away, there was no telling how issues would go on a roster with him taking part in alongside 2 rookie gamers.

Doublelift had some worries of his personal coming in, and he thought there was a definite chance he may fall flat on his face.

“I undoubtedly had a ton of doubts, yeah. I really feel prefer it’s regular to… I really feel prefer it’d be a reasonably large pink flag if I got here again and I had like, absolute, unshakeable confidence that I used to be gonna be the perfect. I believe that the worry is definitely somewhat little bit of a driver, you understand? To place in that further quantity of labor, or to principally search perfection. I believe you want like, extraneous drive.

I don’t know if it’s truly attainable so that you can simply wander again into the LCS after a 2-year break and take it casually. I used to be form of afraid that I might come again and simply fall on my face and be tremendous disappointing and tarnish my legacy.

Robert Paul/Riot Video games

For this reason, once I signed, once I made the choice to signal with 100 Thieves and play once more, I knew I used to be going to should degree up. To follow in another way, to follow more durable than I ever had earlier than as a result of everybody else has this large benefit over me. They’ve been taking part in professionally and competing and taking part in scrims for two years and I haven’t. So, I’ve lots of catching as much as do.”

If beginning 4-2 along with your two losses being towards top-of-the-table groups means you’ve received catching as much as do, this new 100 Thieves roster isn’t off to a nasty begin. Between Doublelift’s gradual return to kind and the excessive ceiling that Busio, Tenacity, and Nearer have forward of them, there’s lots of uncooked, latent potential on this roster. Potential Bjergen and Doublelift have been doing their finest to kind into the following technology of sturdy gamers.

Doublelift introduces the thought of “excessive possession”

We beforehand requested Bjergsen about being reunited with Doublelift and the way they’re increase a robust “tradition” on the crew. Doublelift had quite a bit to say concerning the topic himself, and even gave us a time period for the values which the crew holds highest.

“We now have two rookies, proper? It’s their first time taking part in LCS, promoted from academy. Busio and Tenacity, they’re each very, very proficient. Very promising futures. They’ll be taking part in professionally lengthy after I’m finished and only a has-been streamer once more. And so, what does that imply? These guys are impressionable as a result of they’re younger.

And I believe Nearer, by the best way, is like in-between. He’s not fairly a seasoned veteran of the sport that’s been taking part in ceaselessly, however he’s additionally developed himself to be a pacesetter, a robust voice, any person who is aware of how he needs to play.

So, the crew tradition has an amazing dynamic for us. That open criticism is among the core tenets of our crew; we name it excessive possession.”

Doublelift went on to outline what excessive possession is and what it means to him. It’s a core a part of 100 Thieves’ success and a core a part of how he’s discovered to consider League of Legends after over a decade of aggressive expertise.

Robert Paul/Riot Video games

“Excessive possession is basically taking as a lot accountability as you possibly can, even in conditions the place it wouldn’t even make sense as a result of that’s the mentality that may make you a greater participant. If one thing within the sport isn’t known as, if one thing within the sport isn’t being finished, excessive possession isn’t solely admitting to your individual flaws and errors, however making an attempt to do as a lot as you possibly can.

I’ve all the time stated, as a substitute of maximum possession, ‘search perfection’. As a result of that’s actually what you need. The proper participant is ready to management all 4 of his teammates whereas taking part in his personal champion completely whereas taking part in each champion on the highest degree whereas being a optimistic affect— Think about what the right participant is. Nobody is that, however we’re all making an attempt to get there.”

The ups and downs of Doublelift and Bjergsen’s friendship

These two have an extended historical past collectively within the LCS. Their time on TSM marked among the biggest moments for North American followers, and their historical past of home dominance is a giant a part of why these two gamers are held in such excessive regard.

Nevertheless, it’s vital to do not forget that success is sort of purely home. Worldwide competitors hasn’t gone too effectively for this duo, and that’s one thing they’re seeking to change this yr.

“Enjoying with Soren is certainly a dream. It’s humorous as a result of it’s just like the boy band that all the time breaks up. We all the time play collectively, do effectively, or, do ‘effectively’, have a tragic ending like 0-6 at Worlds, TSM, f******, I simply ran it down versus Crown. There’s all the time one thing, proper?

We change groups, after which we don’t play collectively anymore. And I might say, simply to be utterly sincere, it’s damaging to our friendship somewhat bit after we endure one thing actually… tough, actually upsetting. Like Worlds. After which we recover from it.

Colin Younger-Wolff/Riot Video games

We’re gonna be lifetime buddies, but in addition I’ve a ton of respect for him as a person. He has such a loopy work ethic, he believes in the identical values as I do in terms of being direct along with your teammates. To be open, to be weak, however on the identical time to carry your teammates to a excessive customary.

You’ll by no means be a very good participant when you can’t settle for your errors, that’s what it comes all the way down to. And in addition, even when you can settle for your errors, when you don’t put within the work, you’re additionally not going to be a very good participant.”

Bjergsen drove house how vital their friendship and shared view on the sport was to 100 Thieves’ success in our latest dialogue with him, and Doublelift appears to really feel the identical. Each gamers are definitely hoping to succeed in new highs this yr regardless of being a number of years into their careers.

Doublelift isn’t the one ADC in bot lane for 100 Thieves

It’s no secret that the bot lane meta is a little unusual proper now. Double ADCs or enchanters paired with late-game ADCs are the norms in the mean time, leaving most melee help champions within the mud. Whilst you’ll nonetheless see the odd Nautilus right here and there, the overwhelming majority of help champions picked in professional play are ranged.

We requested Doublelift about his ideas on the present meta and whether or not the upcoming 13.3 patch would change something. He wasn’t optimistic that it’d give us a shift away from the double-ADC rut professional play is in.

“Ranged helps are simply completely out of this world proper now in comparison with melee. There are such a lot of issues that everybody understands are form of damaged. Hail of Blades is form of damaged, Umbral Glaive is horrifically damaged, Serrated Dirk rush is means too OP, and I believe, on the whole, simply the best way the sport is correct now, you see a ton of— I name them ‘doggy junglers’ as a result of they play for the crew. That’s why each sport, you see like, Maokai, Sejuani, Vi, you see Spica taking part in Amumu, often you’ll see Elise if she’s up, as a result of these are the very best gank strain facilitator-type junglers you possibly can play that function fairly effectively on medium to low assets.”

LCS | Twitch

4 ADCs in bot lane, a traditional sight within the present meta

Doublelift went on to clarify that junglers are targeted on serving to bot lane win, and that the profitable bot lane wins the sport.

“The pushing and profitable bot lane continues to win and continues to get larger and greater benefits. I’m certain individuals could be like, ‘Why is Varus help a factor? Why is Ashe help a factor? Why are all these lane-only however like suspicious quantity of utility-type champions, why are they good?’ And it’s two issues. ADC is absolutely overpowered, and profitable lane with overpowered ADC champions is further overpowered. It’s means too sturdy.”

The ADC conundrum definitely wasn’t helped by the 13.1b modifications making crit ADCs hit their energy spikes even earlier within the sport than earlier than. As a carry-focused participant who calls for lots of assets from the crew, this meta is constructed for Doublelift. However did the function really want these buffs? Properly, Doublelift is certainly having enjoyable even when he isn’t certain it’s probably the most balanced set of modifications.

“All I’m gonna say, man, is I love Phreak. (laughs) Like, he’s my favourite Riot worker ever now. This man is available in and he’s like ‘Yeah, I’m going into sport design’. 2 weeks later there’s simply these ridiculous ADC modifications. ADCs have infinite mana ever since Phreak joined the crew; I’m blissful about that in fact. And the 40% crit Infinity Edge Navori factor, it’s very enjoyable. Is it balanced? I’m undecided.”

Doublelift is hungry for a problem within the LCS

For this subsequent part, it’s vital to needless to say this interview was performed earlier than 100 Thieves’ loss to FlyQuest. It’s equally vital to do not forget that having a pattern dimension of a single match makes it tough to color an image of how matchups are going to go.

That stated, Doublelift did lose to Prince. It could have partially been because of Busio taking two early deaths in-lane, however their first matchup on stage didn’t go Doublelift’s means. When asking concerning the ADC pool within the LCS, he wasn’t notably impressed with what he’d seen thus far in wins and in losses.

“I believed that, once I was taking part in towards Berserker and Prince, I used to be gonna see one thing next-level. That I used to be gonna see one thing so spectacular that it was like, ‘Wow, I’m actually gonna really feel the hole between us.’ However… I don’t know. Possibly it’s simply restricted quantity of scrims and stage video games, and that is humorous trigger I’m about to play Prince, perhaps he’ll simply utterly s*** on me, however like… I’m not that impressed by anyone.

The truth is, I believe that Yeon and FBI are each simply as proficient. They play extraordinarily effectively as effectively. For me, the ADC pool in LCS may be very sturdy, and that’s very motivating. To have sturdy opponents that I would like to beat and beat them to change into an amazing participant. Like, that’s so enjoyable. I’m actually blissful that they came visiting and elevated the area in that means, and so they’re tremendous enjoyable to play towards. Do I believe anybody’s tremendous particular? I suppose not.”

Tina Jo for Riot Video games

Doublelift throughout his time on TSM

Doublelift went on to explain a “David vs Goliath” feeling he received from taking part in towards sure ADCs, from taking part in towards gamers who had been far and away higher than he was – one thing he’s hungry for in NA.

“Typically I really feel prefer it’s somewhat disappointing as a result of I might have beloved to really feel prefer it’s David vs Goliath, you understand what I imply? That’s such a sick feeling. After I performed towards Uzi, or once I performed towards the tremendous hyped worldwide ADCs like Teddy, it felt like David vs Goliath. It made my coronary heart race. It gave me one thing to sit up for each day. They’re undoubtedly nice gamers and robust competitors and I’ve lots of respect for them, nevertheless it’s not thoughts blowing stuff.

I don’t assume there’s any Ruler-tier, no Viper-tier, Guma-tier ADC within the LCS. I imply… Yeah. F***. That’s a little bit of a downer assertion, a little bit of a unfavorable, self-deprecating assertion, however I simply don’t assume so.”

Whereas these solutions may have aged higher, I don’t know if it’s honest to say that Doublelift received stomp. The match didn’t go in his favor, nevertheless, however the end result didn’t mar Prince’s meeting with Doublelift after the game.