How Jensen and Doublelift’s failed superteam plan exposes deeper structural issues within the LCS competitive ecosystem
The Superteam That Never Was
Team Liquid mid laner Nicolaj ‘Jensen’ Jensen dropped a bombshell during a recent stream, disclosing behind-the-scenes efforts to assemble a championship-caliber squad with iconic bot laner Yiliang ‘Doublelift’ Peng for the upcoming 2022 season.
With League of Legends free agency poised to open on November 15 at 8pm PT, Jensen finds himself in a precarious position. As Team Liquid’s starting mid laner since 2019, he’s now among the most notable players facing uncertain prospects as organizations finalize their rosters.
The writing appears to be on the wall for Jensen’s tenure with Team Liquid, as the organization is strongly expected to sign legendary mid laner Bjergsen. This leaves Jensen without a clear landing spot, creating the perfect storm for potential superteam discussions.
During his stream, Jensen directly addressed chat questions about reuniting with Doublelift. “Team up with Doublelift and create a superteam?” he read aloud before confirming, “I mean, we kind of tried to make that happen, but it doesn’t seem possible.” He reiterated this point multiple times throughout the broadcast, emphasizing the genuine but ultimately futile nature of their efforts.
For veteran LCS followers, this potential reunion carried significant weight. Jensen originally joined Team Liquid in November 2018 after his tenure with Cloud9, arriving about a year after Doublelift had established himself with TL. Together, they dominated the 2019 season, capturing both LCS splits and representing North America at the World Championship. Their proven synergy made the theoretical superteam particularly compelling.
Market Realities and Veteran Challenges
The timing seemed theoretically perfect for a Jensen-Doublelift reunion. With Jensen likely departing Team Liquid and Doublelift having retired after the 2020 season, both stars were potentially available. Doublelift had previously stated he would only return to professional play under specific conditions: laning with an elite support on a legitimate championship contender.
However, the current LCS landscape presents substantial obstacles for such veteran pairings. Multiple organizations are shifting toward younger, more economical rosters for 2022, reducing the market for expensive, experienced duos. This creates a catch-22: teams want to win, but many aren’t willing to pay premium prices for proven veterans, opting instead for developmental talent with lower salary demands.
Jensen articulated this systemic issue clearly during his stream. “A big problem with LCS, in my opinion, is that there are four or five teams that want to do a lot to win and have a very competitive roster,” he explained. “And there are like five or six teams that are like, ‘let’s just go with rookies.’ So it’s very hard to have competitive rosters if you’re not part of those four or five teams.”
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This division creates a talent bottleneck. The few teams seriously investing in veteran talent face limited options, while the majority of organizations operate with different budgetary priorities. For players like Jensen and Doublelift, this means their potential superteam needed to align with one of those few invested organizations—a difficult proposition in a shrinking competitive market.
Strategic Insights and Future Implications
The failed superteam attempt reveals several critical insights about the current LCS ecosystem. First, roster construction has become increasingly polarized between win-now franchises and developmental organizations. Second, veteran players face diminishing opportunities unless they’re willing to accept reduced roles or salaries. Third, the path from free agency to contender status has narrowed significantly for established stars.
For aspiring professional players and team managers, this situation offers valuable lessons. When building rosters, consider the economic realities of your organization before pursuing premium veterans. For players negotiating contracts, understand that the market for veteran duos may be smaller than individual veteran spots. Organizations prioritizing championships should recognize that investing in proven talent often yields more immediate returns than lengthy development projects.
Common mistakes in this environment include overestimating the market for veteran players, underestimating the cost of true contender rosters, and failing to align organizational budgets with competitive ambitions. Successful teams will carefully balance veteran leadership with cost-controlled young talent, creating sustainable models for long-term competitiveness.
As the 2022 Spring split approaches in January, the current trajectory suggests both Jensen and Doublelift will be spectators rather than participants. Their failed superteam attempt serves as a case study in the challenges facing veteran talent in today’s LCS—a league increasingly divided between haves and have-nots, with limited middle ground for players seeking both competitive opportunities and appropriate compensation.
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