On March 20, Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng made waves in North America by announcing the arrival of Near Airport—a newly formed team of retired and well-known players set to compete in the North American Challengers League (NACL). The team had secured their spot earlier this year through the Open Qualifiers, though Doublelift initially had some reservations about committing to the transition from amateur to semi-pro. However, it seems the decision was ultimately met with collective approval. Now, led by the legendary ADC, Near Airport is ready to take on the challenge of rising from "Retirement to Tier 1".

In 2025, "stream teams" have emerged as a legitimate and exciting format in competitive League of Legends. Caedrel's "Los Ratones" has already demonstrated it by securing a Top 4 finish in the EMEA Masters just months after formation. Now, Doublelift—one of the most influential figures in the League community with over 1.8 million Twitch followers—is stepping up to form his team and bring a fresh approach to NA's esports landscape.

Near Airport takes flight

After weeks of speculation, Doublelift officially revealed the team's name and full roster. Near Airport will consist entirely of former professional players and will be coached by Chris "Croissant" Sun, who was part of NRG's coaching staff when they won the LCS Championship in 2023. That same year, NRG became the only Western team to reach the Worlds quarterfinals, eliminating G2 Esports. Near Airport's debut is set for March 26, when they will officially "take off" into the NACL season. The roster features a mix of experienced talent, including former LCS veterans and academy standouts:

You will probably recognize some of these names. Doublelift played for over 10 years in the top North American league, winning eight different splits with TSM, Team Liquid, and CLG. He will take on the botlane alongside Biofrost, who retired in mid-2023. The two have already played together on TSM in both 2017 and 2020, making two Worlds appearances as teammates. He will also reunite with Pobelter, another regional legend with a decade-long career, with whom he played at CLG during Summer 2015 and at Team Liquid in 2018.

Pobelter will need to build synergy with Spica, who is coming off a rough 2024 season with Dignitas. The two previously played together on TSM in 2020, where they won the only LCS title of Spica's career. Rounding out the roster is TF Blade, widely regarded as one of the best solo queue players in the world, known for his carry performances in the toplane.