Doublelift flames team and coaches in deleted Gafford interview

“Welcome back to the aftermath of LCS Week 7. I’m here with Doublelift for what we’re calling act two of our conversation. You contacted me yesterday evening asking to redo our discussion, so let’s explore the reasoning behind this unusual request.”

This opening statement from Hotline League presenter Travis Gafford introduced his March 11th session with professional gamer Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, a dialogue that would rapidly escalate into a fierce professional dispute among prominent esports media figures.

Doublelift clarified that Team Liquid management hadn’t pressured him to re-record the interview. Instead, he personally sought the reshoot because he believed the initial “emotional tone” misrepresented his actual perspectives.

“The fan community was criticizing my coaching staff and management so intensely. I hadn’t fully grasped how severely they were being targeted by community backlash. The situation felt fundamentally misrepresented and failed to convey my intended message accurately,” Doublelift explained during the second version of their conversation.

Despite the removal of clips from the original recording, dedicated Reddit community members managed to reconstruct several of Doublelift’s most contentious statements that he later regretted making public.

His criticisms included questioning the Team Liquid coaching decisions regarding Edward “Tactical” Wa remaining as substitute after strong performances, alongside the decision to bench Doublelift without providing advance notice. During the latter portion of the initial interview, Doublelift had additionally claimed his team accomplished “virtually nothing” throughout his comeback match. The professional player had been temporarily removed from the starting roster due to motivational concerns.

In a follow-up Reddit discussion thread about the situation, Doublelift offered a more measured perspective on the circumstances.

“I’m commenting here primarily to express that my main concern was wishing I’d received more warning about potential benching,” Doublelift clarified. “My relationship with the coaching staff remains positive. I never intended to sound like I was assigning blame to anyone. Our team dynamics are solid and I’m confident we can resolve any issues collaboratively—it’s certainly not their responsibility that I was struggling with focus.”

Esports Journalism Ethics: The Reshoot Debate

When the gaming community discovered Gafford had permitted Doublelift to reshoot the interview, significant portions of the League of Legends fanbase expressed dissatisfaction with his editorial decision-making. Supporters made their positions unmistakably clear across Twitter platforms that they would have preferred preservation of the authentic original recording.

“I understand the appeal of more provocative content, but we must remember that human perspectives are multifaceted. What a competitor believes immediately following a disappointing loss during their return performance might not align with their consistent worldview,” Gafford responded to one community member via Twitter.

When ESPN’s esports reporter Jacob Wolf learned about the removed interview, he strongly disagreed with Gafford’s editorial choice.

“That’s perfectly acceptable. I anticipate your Liquid-sponsored vacation enabling exclusive access opportunities. Please elaborate further on journalistic ethics,” Wolf tweeted pointedly at his fellow industry journalist.

This response clearly troubled Gafford, who subsequently posted a retaliatory comment that he apparently quickly came to regret. The message was deleted shortly after publication.

“Jacob, I want to apologize for my remarks about ESPN,” Gafford posted as a replacement. “My comments were inappropriate and I made them in a discussion where I felt personally attacked. I also believe it’s unjust for you to suggest inaccurate scenarios. The community respects your reporting because they trust its factual accuracy.”

Wolf responded that he “valued the apology” but remained concerned about the broader situation. He emphasized that journalists can maintain critical perspectives while ethically covering challenging professional circumstances.

“I’ve established strong professional relationships with numerous influential figures within our industry while simultaneously fulfilling my reporting responsibilities. This balance requires clear communication and mutual professional respect,” Wolf stated.

Currently, the initial interview recording remains unavailable to the public. This incident highlights the evolving standards within esports journalism, where maintaining access must be balanced against editorial integrity. Professional gaming coverage faces unique challenges regarding player relationships versus truthful reporting.

For those interested in professional gaming dynamics, our Complete Guide offers valuable insights into competitive team environments. Similarly, understanding player psychology is crucial, as detailed in our Class Guide that explores professional mindset management.

The controversy underscores several critical lessons for esports journalists: always document editorial decisions transparently, establish clear reshoot policies beforehand, and maintain professional boundaries even during contentious situations. These standards ensure credible coverage that serves both the community and the industry’s long-term development.

At present, the original interview content remains permanently deleted from public access, serving as a case study in esports media ethics.

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