Doublelift

Lore & Background

Doublelift comes from California, and started playing console games before jumping to PC titles such as DotA, World of Warcraft, and Heroes of Newerth, eventually moving to League of Legends. In an interview with Machinima in 2013, Doublelift said his relationship with his parents was strained because of his dream of being a professional esports player. Doublelift first entered professional League of Legends when he gained the attention of George "HotshotGG" Georgallidis, founder of CLG, who recruited him as a substitute Support player. Shortly after, Doublelift left CLG to become the starting Support for Epik Gamer. He later joined UnRestricted as the starting AD Carry, and the team was acquired by Team Curse later that year. Doublelift's first major tournament was DreamHack Summer 2011, also known as the Riot Season 1 Championship. He needed his parents' permission to go, but at the time his beginning esports career was a secret to his parents. He was ultimately allowed to go after Doublelift's older brother helped convince their parents. When Doublelift returned home, his parents were not proud of his accomplishment at Dreamhack. Tensions grew until in 2011 his parents told him to leave the house. He took his prize money from Dreamhack and his computer, and wrote about the event on Reddit in a thread titled "Hi I'm Doublelift, formerly of team [Epik Gamer], and today I became homeless." He began earning money for writing educational League of Legends content for Team Curse. Doublelift later played for CLG, Team SoloMid, and Team Liquid, winning multiple LCS titles. He played for 100 Thieves in 2023 and retired in December 2023.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights dimmed, casting long shadows across the stage where he once stood as an unstoppable force. Now, Yiliang sat behind a sleek desk in the 100 Thieves headquarters, watching the live broadcast of his organization's latest match on a wall of monitors. The roar of the crowd felt distant yet familiar, echoing memories of championship celebrations and heartbreaks alike. He adjusted his headset, not to queue for a game, but to offer guidance to the next generation of talent, ensuring that the legacy he helped build would endure long after his own keyboard had gone silent.

Reader's Guide

Doublelift is known for being a fierce competitor and trash-talking his opponents. One of his most famous statements came in 2013 at the League of Legends All-Star tournament when he claimed that, "Everyone else is trash." He was timid and socially awkward around his teammates early in his career. In a Reddit AMA, Doublelift said he owed it to Epik Gamer for giving him the opportunity to begin his career. He has spoken out about the never-ending competitive schedule for professional League of Legends.

Did You Know?

• Doublelift was benched during the Summer LCS due to an injury incurred from playing basketball.
• In 2014, Doublelift and CLG finished third and fifth, respectively in the spring and summer playoffs, and did not qualify for international events.
• Doublelift and CLG were fined on January 6, 2015, after being found guilty of poaching ZionSpartan. Doublelift was fined $2,500.
• Doublelift helped CLG win their first-ever LCS Split playoff title in August 2015, qualifying them for the 2015 League of Legends World Championship, where they finished 12/13th.