Doublelift Joins TSM (2015)

Lore & Background

Doublelift's move to TSM was a narrative of redemption and rivalry. After leading CLG to their first LCS championship in 2015 Summer, he was unexpectedly benched and released, citing personality conflicts. TSM, fresh off a disappointing Worlds group stage exit, saw an opportunity to acquire a superstar. The signing was controversial—Doublelift had been CLG's icon, and his trash-talking persona clashed with TSM's polished brand. Yet, his mechanical prowess and shotcalling quickly transformed TSM into a domestic powerhouse, winning both the 2016 Spring LCS title and the 2016 Summer LCS title.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights dimmed as Doublelift stepped onto the stage, now wearing black and white instead of blue and gold. The crowd roared, a chaotic symphony of cheers and boos that echoed off the rafters. He glanced at his new teammates—Bjergsen, stone-faced; Svenskeren, cracking his knuckles; Hauntzer, bouncing on his heels; and YellOwStaR, calm as a glacier. Doublelift smirked, the kind of smirk that had once made CLG fans adore him and now made half the venue want to throw popcorn. 'They said I was toxic,' he muttered, adjusting his headset. 'Let's see if they're still laughing when I lift the trophy.' The first match against CLG was a bloodbath—his Lucian dashed through a hail of skillshots, his ultimate shredding his former support Aphromoo's health bar in seconds. TSM crushed CLG in 28 minutes. After the victory, he didn't celebrate; he just stared at the CLG side of the stage, where his old teammates sat frozen. He knew this was only the beginning—and that some rivalries never really end.

Reader's Guide

The Doublelift era (2016–2017, then 2019–2020) redefined TSM's identity. Before him, TSM was known for Bjergsen's solo-carry style; with Doublelift, they became a two-headed monster. His arrival coincided with TSM's shift toward a more structured, macro-focused playstyle, leveraging his laning dominance and late-game teamfighting. Domestically, TSM became nearly unbeatable, winning four LCS titles across his two stints. However, international struggles persisted—TSM failed to advance past the group stage at Worlds in 2016 and 2017, leading to Doublelift's temporary retirement and later return. His legacy is one of triumph and frustration: he cemented TSM's domestic dynasty but couldn't break the international curse. For fans, Doublelift embodies TSM's ambition and heartbreak—a player who gave everything to win, even at the cost of his own peace.

Did You Know?

• Doublelift was not the first player to win LCS titles with two different organizations; players like Xmithie preceded him. Doublelift is known for winning LCS titles with three organizations (CLG, TSM, and Team Liquid).
• His 2016 season with TSM included a perfect 17-1 regular split in Summer, a record at the time.
• Doublelift's iconic 'I'm the greatest' speech at MSI 2019 was delivered while representing Team Liquid, not TSM.
• He did not retire in 2017; he took a split off (spring 2017) but returned to play for TSM in summer 2017 and later for Team Liquid, with his first retirement being in 2020.

The Departure and a New Chapter

After a 2015 season that swung between triumph and heartbreak, Doublelift found himself without a team. CLG had captured their first-ever LCS Split playoff title in August, but the international dream shattered at the League of Legends World Championship, where the roster finished a dismal 12th out of 13. On October 31, the organization informed their star botlaner they would not be re-signing him. The North American scene reacted quickly. Team SoloMid announced that Doublelift would be joining their roster, stepping in to replace WildTurtle, the long-tenured AD Carry who had anchored TSM's botlane for years. The 2015 campaign itself had been turbulent—Doublelift and the organization were fined for poaching ZionSpartan, and he sat out the summer split after a basketball injury. Still, that August championship proved the roster could win at the highest level. Now, with a new organization and a fresh opportunity, Doublelift carried that momentum into an entirely new chapter.

Spring 2016: A Bitter Rivalry Finale

The spring split of 2016 set the stage for one of the most emotionally charged matchups in North American League of Legends history. Doublelift and TSM pushed all the way to the split finals, only to find their old organization, CLG, waiting on the other side. The series went the full distance, and in the end, TSM fell 3–2 to their former teammates. The result was a second-place finish that stung in a particular way: it meant the team would miss out on the Mid-Season Invitational, the premier international event of the year. For Doublelift, who had just left CLG after their own Worlds failure, the irony was sharp. He had spent the better part of four years building that roster, winning their first title together in August 2015, and now he was on the losing end of a rivalry that had defined his career. The spring split served as a painful reminder that talent alone does not guarantee silverware, yet it also set the table for a summer that would deliver the redemption he craved.

Summer 2016: Redemption in Gold

If the spring split was a wound, the summer was the healing. TSM made a critical mid-season adjustment, adding Vincent "Biofrost" Wang as a new support to pair with Doublelift in the botlane. The impact was immediate and staggering. Where the team had managed a modest 9–9 record in the spring, they stormed through the summer regular season with a 17–1 standing, earning a bye into the playoffs. Doublelift's individual performance was equally dominant, earning him First Team All-Pro honors for the split. The playoffs delivered another finals appearance, and this time the story had a different ending. TSM defeated Cloud9 in a commanding 3–1 series to claim the championship, giving Doublelift his second LCS title. The victory carried enormous personal weight. He had come to TSM after being released, had lost a grueling five-game series to his former team just months earlier, and now he stood on the other side of that rivalry with a trophy in hand. The summer split validated the decision to change rosters and proved that the right combination of talent and synergy could transform a struggling team into a championship contender overnight.

A Career in Context and the Road Ahead

By the time Doublelift's TSM tenure wrapped, his career statistics already placed him among the most accomplished players in North American League of Legends history. Across 18 splits of competitive play, he had accumulated one Split MVP, five All-Pro First Team selections, and one All-Pro Third Team honor. His reputation as a fierce competitor and unapologetic trash-talker made him as memorable off the scoreboard as on it, epitomized by his 2013 All-Star declaration that "Everyone else is trash." The TSM chapter, however, was not his final one. Before the 2017 season even began, the organization announced that Doublelift would be stepping away from professional League of Legends for the spring split, describing the move as "a small break." This pause came at a moment when his career trajectory was still evolving—he had already played for CLG, Team Liquid, and 100 Thieves, and would eventually form his own personal team, Near Airport. His journey from a homesick teenager in California who needed his older brother to convince their parents to let him travel to Sweden, to a multi-time champion and content creator, underscored a career defined by relentless reinvention.