Yesterday, it was officially announced that Doublelift would be returning to TSM and playing with them in the Summer Split. Originally the TSM planned to have a 6 man roster with Doublelift and Wildturtle sharing the ADC role. However, Wildturtle voluntarily decided to leave the team and join FlyQuest, reuniting with his former teammates, Hai, LemonNation, and Balls.
The 6 Man Roster Format
Although Wildturtle left the team, leaving Doublelift as the sole ADC at the moment, TSM’s owner, Reginald, has stated that he and the team are still searching for a new ADC as their commitment to the 6 man roster. Many other teams have adopted this structure and found success in their respective region. In last year’s LCK, reigning world champions, SKT, used a double starters for both their mid lane and jungler positions. Faker and Easyhoon would rotate in and out and Bengi and Blank would be substituted for each other depending on their coaches’ discretion.
Domestically, Cloud 9 have found tremendous success with their 6 man roster with Impact and Ray in the top lane. Due to their different styles and strengths, Cloud 9 is able to utilize both players to great efficiency. Whether they are looking for Impact’s solid decision making or Ray’s explosive aggressiveness, Cloud 9 is able to mix and match their tempo and throw off their opponent’s.
Overall, a 6 man roster allows a team to have more flexibility in a role and introduce two different types of playstyles to help them win games.
Doublelift Returning
It’s safe to say that Doublelift will be an upgrade from Wildturtle although Wildturtle is a great ADC in his own right. In the era of hard carrying from the bottom lane, Doublelift was recognized internationally as one of the best. Even now, he remains as one of the top ADCs in North America. In addition to his ingame micro play, he also brings shotcalling back to TSM, relieving the burden on Bjergsen. In the previous Summer Split, when Doublelift was still on the team, both he and Bjergsen shared the shotcalling responsibility.
Unfortunately for Wildturtle, his decision doesn’t come as too big of a surprise. He is still a top ADC in the region, but staying on TSM would greatly reduce his playing time and resulting in him being overshadowed. His choice to join FlyQuest allows him to remain a starting player and gives him the chance of playing with his old teammates again while FlyQuest gets a slight upgrade in the ADC role. In conclusion, it was probably the best decision for himself, TSM, and FlyQuest.