Doublelift is reportedly just some steps away from returning to the LCS stage. After two seasons away from skilled League of Legends, the 29-year-old cornerstone participant is in talks with LCS groups forward of the 2023 season, according to multiple reports.
And whereas two years away from the sport on the highest degree is often sufficient trigger for followers and organizations to solid a cloud of doubt over a possible comeback, Doublelift is a distinct beast. When he retired in 2020, he went out on high of the LCS, cementing his place as probably the most profitable home participant within the league’s historical past.
After profitable the 2020 LCS Summer season Break up with TSM, Doublelift stepped away from the sport to pursue a profession in streaming and content material creation. However now, as rumors surrounding a possible comeback flow into, let’s take a fast have a look at simply how good Doublelift was when he took his closing bow—and the way his previous successes might flip NA’s present crop of groups into potential title contenders.
Doublelift’s groups win championships
“Doublelift’s empty trophy case” is maybe probably the most distant of reminiscences in LCS tradition. After failing to win a championship till his fifth season as a professional, Doublelift spent extra time as a champion than he did as a perennial “also-ran.”
On the again finish of his profession, all Doublelift did was win the LCS. In case you’ve forgotten simply how dominant he and his groups have been, there got here a degree in 2019 when it grew to become a sensible certainty that it doesn’t matter what jersey he was carrying, Doublelift was a favourite to win all of it. Doublelift was the beginning AD carry for six of the seven groups that gained LCS championships between the summers of 2017 and 2020. In that span, he gained 4 straight titles with Workforce Liquid and bookended his success with championships that he gained whereas with TSM.
Associated: Which LCS teams could Doublelift join if he returns to pro play?
Assuming Doublelift is simply nearly as good as he was two years in the past, if he makes a comeback, the staff he joins ought to instantly be considered as not only a title contender, however a possible favourite.
He’s received the stats to again it up
Whereas 2020 wasn’t Doublelift’s finest 12 months statistically (that may most likely be 2016 or 2017), he nonetheless led the league in a number of classes. He was the top-ranked ADC in total kill share in the course of the 2020 Summer season Break up, accumulating 35 % of TSM’s complete kills, whereas naturally main all gamers on the place in complete kills with 76, in line with League stats website Oracle’s Elixir. The one participant to have extra kills than Doublelift that summer season was PowerOfEvil, who picked up 83 whereas serving because the mid laner for FlyQuest.
Moreover, Doublelift was one of many league’s strongest breadwinners, averaging 9.9 CS per minute whereas incomes 322 gold per minute—marks that have been each tied for one of the best within the LCS that summer season alongside, coincidentally, then-Liquid ADC Tactical, in line with Oracle’s Elixir.
Whereas it’s unrealistic to count on Doublelift to utterly tear up the league after sitting on the sofa for 2 seasons, a participant of his caliber ought to be capable to at the least compete for high ranks in a number of statistical classes once more.
Doublelift as a expertise grower
It’s unclear what teammates Doublelift would encompass himself with if he does make a comeback, though a 2020 TSM reunion between himself, Bjergsen, and Spica has been rumored. Ought to that lineup see daylight, it could probably be on 100 Thieves, in line with a report from impartial League content material creator Travis Gafford.
Whereas the widespread throughline in profitable LCS groups in 2022 was to have a veteran help nurture a younger, upstart ADC (see Vulcan and Danny for Evil Geniuses, in addition to Berserker and Zven for C9), Doublelift proved throughout his authentic run with TSM in 2016 that he can play the inverse position of a veteran ADC propping up a rookie help in Biofrost. Ought to rumors round Doublelift’s return touchdown him in 100 Thieves come to fruition, he’d have a main probability to assist create one other backside lane star because the franchise sports activities the top prospect in North American League in help Busio.
Whereas Doublelift’s uncooked expertise is an apparent cause why any staff would wish to signal him, his confirmed capacity to help within the profession trajectories of youthful teammates is an added bonus.
One factor left to do
Doublelift is able to constructing championship-winning groups from the within out on the home stage, however we’ve failed to say up till this level the plain monkey on his again: the lack to advance previous the group stage at Worlds. In six makes an attempt, Doublelift has failed at making it out of teams at Worlds every time, together with his most up-to-date effort being probably the most depressing.
Keep in mind how we talked about Doublelift “going out on high” on the home stage? Effectively, if you happen to extrapolate his profession to incorporate worldwide performances, his final go-around at Worlds featured a catastrophic efficiency by TSM that featured the primary top-seeded staff out of a serious area to go winless in the group stage.
If Doublelift does make a comeback, advancing to the highest eight at Worlds must be the ground for no matter staff he joins. Successful the LCS is nothing new.
