After a disappointing spring split, LPL’s Royal Never Give Up officially announced their lineup for the summer split. RNG’s lineup includes a few changes compared to spring split, most notably the absence of Uzi at the substitute ADC position. This is just one of many hints pointing at Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao possibly ending his professional career before summer split.
Other changes include the addition of He “705” Yu-Long and Tian “New” Zhi-Peng to the top lane. 705 will also serve as the starting top laner in summer, following Xie “Langx” Zhen-Ying’s departure to LGD Gaming.
Has Uzi already played his last pro game?
When RNG lost to Fnatic in the 2019 Worlds Group Stage, nobody would have thought that would be Uzi’s last game. Even though he had a long history of medical issues concerning his wrist, making him miss several games and even splits, people always thought highly of him and his skill.
However, all signs point at Uzi’s career being over after not playing a single game in the spring split. Apart from his lack of inclusion in the roster announcement, he is also not listed under RNG in the Global Contract Database. His contract expired on April 30, but he remained listed until May 30. Furthermore, Uzi changed his summoner name on the Korean server to “ggggggmeile”, with “meile” meaning “no more” in Chinese. While he could simply be memeing, it is possible that this is just another hint at his retirement.
A king without a crown
There is no doubt Uzi will go down in history as one of the greatest players to ever play professional League of Legends. Many may even remember him as the greatest ADC player to ever play the game. Multiple LPL titles, an MSI title, and two Worlds finals appearances are just some of his greatest achievements.
However, every career has its sore spots. For Uzi, that is his lack of a World Champion title on his belt. While he got close several times, he always fell slightly short. Two finals appearances and a semifinals appearance will all be forgotten as, in the end, it’s the winners that everyone remembers. And that missing Worlds title might, unfortunately, see him taken out of GOAT conversations in the future.
Do you believe Uzi will announce his retirement in the near future? Or do you think he will return to the LPL with another team? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! For more League of Legends content, stay in touch with Daily Esports.
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