Former RNG bot laner Uzi founds a new esports organization

The former legendary bot laner for RNG, Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao, doesn’t seem to be done with esports after his retirement last year. But his return will be in a different way than most would have expected. 

The 24-year-old League of Legends veteran has founded a new esports organization, according to a post on Weibo and Inven Global. The organization is called Ultra Fantastic Gaming (UFG) and will be looking to enter the Wild Rift scene as its first game. Uzi has co-founded the organization together with the singer, rapper, and actor Fan Chengcheng, who is known from the Chinese pop group Nine Percent and is currently an active member of NEX7.

Will UFG compete in Leaguge of Legends?

Many would have expected Uzi and his new organization to set eyes on League of Legends but the first target will be the new mobile version Wild Rift. The game is yet to be fully released in China but it’s expected to be a big hit as the Chinese market is very big on mobile gaming. 

Wild Rift is already officially approved by the Chinese National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), which means that the game will likely have all it takes to become more than just another mobile game in China. With Riot Games making an effort to establish Wild Rift as an actual esports in the future, Uzi and UFG might be wise in betting on the game this early on. 

As a former League of Legends professional, it would also be strange if UFG wouldn’t be branching out to create an LoL division in the future. Uzi himself is still considered one of the best players to ever touch the game despite never winning a World Championship trophy. Instead, Uzi has won three LPL titles and the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational with RNG. 

Uzi ultimately retired as a pro last year due to health complications that got in the way of his career. Even though there has been a lot of speculation and hope that Uzi would return to professional play, the news about UFG seems like a step in the opposite direction. Instead, Uzi will now act as an esports organization owner, which will hopefully become a well-known name in some of the biggest titles in the future under his supervision.