❘ Printed: 2022-12-09T12:40:41
❘ Up to date: 2022-12-09T12:46:11
Veteran AD Carry Yiliang ‘Doublelift’ Peng has make clear his determination to return to professional play with 100 Thieves — and it has nothing to do with cash.
The 29-year-old has been formally introduced as 100 Thieves’ beginning AD Carry for 2023 as a part of an attention-grabbing roster that could be a mix of expertise and youth.
For Doublelift, it marks his return to exercise after a two-year break. He final performed for TSM on the 2020 World Championship earlier than retiring and turning into a streamer for the group.
In a dwell stream following 100 Thieves’ announcement, Doublelift defined the explanation for his return after such an extended hiatus. In response to the eight-time LCS champion, he began feeling the “aggressive itch” one 12 months into his retirement.
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“After getting the itch, you may’t actually shake it off,” he mentioned. “I used to be bouncing between a couple of groups this low season. I had a couple of choices from a few high groups and a few backside groups.
“With 100 Thieves, I did the alternative of chasing the bag. I simply wished to be on the very best roster. I believe I’ve obtained a roster that I’m tremendous pleased with and in an org that I’m tremendous pleased with.”
In response to Doublefit, cash was not a think about his return or selection of staff. Like many different professional gamers who’ve additionally dabbled into streaming, he mentioned that he was making much more cash as a streamer than he’ll as a professional participant.
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“Simply being fully sincere, the cash that you simply make streaming is a number of occasions greater than you make as a professional,” he mentioned.
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“In two to 3 years enjoying professionally, I’d make as a lot as in a 12 months streaming, and I’d most likely be placing in half as many hours [by streaming].”
Doublelift talks 2020 retirement
Doublelift added that he wished to proceed enjoying after the “unlucky ending” at Worlds 2020, the place TSM went out within the group stage with a 0-6 document. His want was to compete alongside Taiwanese assist Hu ‘SwordArT’ Shuo-chieh, who could be signed from Suning, however he additionally determined to discover his choices outdoors of TSM given the shortage of certainty in regards to the roster.
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Nonetheless, because the low season progressed and most high groups’ rosters had been set, Doublelift’s choices dwindled. In response to Doublelift, TSM proprietor Andy ‘Reginald’ Dinh was “tremendous pissed off” that he wouldn’t decide to the staff and promoted Lawrence ‘Misplaced’ Hui from the academy squad.
Doublelift mentioned that his 2020 retirement was not his determination
Unwilling to affix a bottom-tier staff, Doublelift took a year-long break and turned to streaming — a call that he prolonged for one more 12 months given the monetary incentives.
That TSM staff completed third within the Spring Break up and fourth within the Summer season Break up, failing to qualify for Worlds 2021. In response to Doublelift, issues would have been totally different if he had been on the roster.
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“If I had been enjoying for TSM that season as an alternative of Misplaced, that roster would have really been fairly good,” he mentioned.