Doublelift has spilled the beans on TSM founder Andy “Reginald” Dinh, his relationship with his former team, and why he ultimately made the decision to retire from professional League of Legends.
The most decorated player in LCS history, an eight-time NA champion, revealed that his retirement boiled down to Regi. “Honestly, I fucking hate TSM. Mostly because of Andy [Dinh],” Doublelift said on his Twitch stream on Nov. 9.
Doublelift explained SwordArt, a Worlds 2020 finalist and sought-after support from the LPL, was keen on playing with him in 2021. But after talking it over with Regi and expressing his commitment to the organization and the player, “Andy literally said no.”
“He’s got too much of an ego,” Doublelift said. “It’s fucking so cringe.”
TSM, despite signing SwordArt on a reported two-year contract for $6 million on Nov. 26, 2020, decided to bank on Lawrence “Lost” Hui, a young and relatively inexperienced ADC from New Zealand.
Related: Doublelift reportedly considering return to pro play in 2022
“If I was on TSM last split, there’s no doubt in my mind we would have made Worlds,” Doublelift said.
The team ended the season behind Cloud9, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 2021 World Championship, which took place in Reykjavík, Iceland in October and November.
Regi commented on Doublelift in a statement. “It’s extremely discouraging for both staff and players to work with someone who is constantly ambivalent about whether he wants to play or retire,” he said on Nov. 9.
“Therefore, all of our staff and players collectively decided to commit to Lost. After a long negotiation process, we subsequently were able to secure SwordArt. Peter [Doublelift] also has this misconception that he was replaced both times solely by me, but in reality the decision is made collectively by the players and staff he works with day to day,” Regi explained.
TSM now looks to rebuild its LCS roster ahead of the 2022 season, which will involve cutting ties with SwordArt one year into the Taiwanese support’s two-year contract, as reported by Dot Esports on Oct. 28.
Make sure to tune into the Dot Esports Free Agency Show at 5pm CT on Monday, Nov. 15.
