Doublelift's Streamer Squad Near Airport Disbands Ahead of Upcoming NACL Split

18 Jun

Foo Zen-Wen

The North American stream team Near Airport, headlined by popular names such as Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, Ashkan “TFBlade” Homayouni, and Mingyi “Spica” Lu has officially disbanded.

NA’s Dream Stream Team Fizzles Out After One Split

Originally formed after gaining inspiration from Marc “Caedrel” Lamont’s popular Los Ratones roster – which gained rapid fan following – Near Airport found near immediate competitive success, smashing their way through the NACL 2025 Split 1 qualifiers in flawless fashion.

However, unlike similar projects in Europe (most notably Los Ratones), Near Airport placed a respectable 3rd place in the league in their debut run. Respectable, but not good enough for a roster with 4 former LCS players.

Headed into Playoffs, NA quickly found themselves down in the lower bracket after losing to Winthrop University, where they attempted to battle back to the Grand Finals. Despite a victory over CCG Esports and a successful payback against Winthrop, NA would fall to Conviction just shy of the Lower Finals, finishing 4th place.

With the initial goal being to create a team of notable personalities in the North American space, Near Airport fell far from the mark and was unsuccessful in replicating the Los Ratones journey.

A Clash of Ideas Divided The Roster

Head Coach Chris “Croissant” Sun expressed frustrations in the announcement video, noting struggles to find a common direction for the team. Earlier videos had surfaced with Mid Laner Eugene “Pobelter” Park particularly frustrated at the lack of consistent practice.

Though undeniably filled with the talent, it was evident the work ethic was not where it needed to be for the roster. Despite the lower level of opposition, Near Airport's sum was a far cry considering the individual pieces on the squad.

“I thought we should either all in or nothing, we didn’t practice a lot in Spring Split, and I feel like we could probably be the best team, but scrimming one day a week, a lot of conflicting schedules, it made things really hard for us to be the best team possible,” said Croissant.

Near Airport’s departure from the league opens the path for an additional team to promote to the NACL’s Split 2 later this year. While the concept of Near Airport was an enticing dream and one that fed into the nostalgia of North American fans, the execution and ambitions were worlds apart to ever truly come to fruition.

Follow Strafe Esports for all the latest League news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured Image Credit: Near Airport

MSI 2025 is here!! Format, Schedule, Teams, and More

New League of Legends Champion: Yunara Abilities, Gameplay, and Release Date