Faker sends heartfelt message to Uzi after retirement announcement

Olivia Richman Published 07/06/2020

Few were shocked when Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao retired from League of Legends last week due to his ongoing health problems. That doesn’t mean people weren’t saddened by the news, though.

Uzi first reported serious injuries last year, revealing in an interview that he had terrible arm pain that kept him from scrimming with his Royal Never Give Up teammates. He then became a free agent, leading many to wonder if the benched veteran would be signed to RNG again, or if he was set to go elsewhere. Instead, Uzi announced his retirement due to developing diabetes.

While Uzi stated that he would love to return to competitive League of Legends if his health improves, for now the scene has lost a legendary AD Carry.

In response to Uzi’s departure, T1’s mid laner Sang-hyeok “Faker” Lee, another LoL legend, expressed his admiration for Uzi. His recorded video messages on Twitter expressed that he couldn’t quite believe that Uzi was retiring.

“He’s always been hard working, so it’s a great pity that he’s now retired,” Faker explained.

Hello everyone, I’m T1 Faker. When I heard the news of Uzi’s retirement, speaking for myself, he’s been an excellent player who’s competed against me on the same stage for so many years. And at the same time, he’s also an extremely popular Chinese player [1/3] pic.twitter.com/pd77vbXGWx
— Linda???? (@iCrystalization) June 6, 2020

So when I heard the news of his retirement, I was actually reluctant to believe it. Uzi has always been worked very hard, so it’s a great pity that he’s now retired.

At the same time, there are many fans in China who like Uzi, the fans will also be sad hearing these news [2/3] pic.twitter.com/X88bIsmetG
— Linda???? (@iCrystalization) June 6, 2020

Faker admitted that his heart felt “heavy” when he thought of Uzi leaving the competitive scene. He also urged Uzi’s fans to continue supporting him, no matter his decision.

My heart feels rather heavy when I think about that.

Although Uzi’s career has ended, I believe that from now on he’ll grow very well in the days to come. I hope Uzi’s fans can always continue to support him. Uzi fighting! [3/3] pic.twitter.com/vTCwDq9aYA
— Linda???? (@iCrystalization) June 6, 2020

As highly respected and talented players in the League of Legends community, it’s no surprise that Uzi and Faker have had many encounters. They both started their careers around 2012 and have faced each other in various international competitions. Because of this, they clearly have a lot of respect for one another.

In 2019, they met at Worlds and complimented each other for their playstyles. They also shared a lot of the same views on a variety of topics.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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