win.gg
Win.gg League of Legends Uzi is now a free agent after Royal Never Give Up contract expires

Uzi is now a free agent after Royal Never Give Up contract expires

Olivia Richman
Olivia Richman Published 02/05/2020

An update to Riot’s Esports Global Contract Database has revealed that Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao is now a free agent. 

The talented veteran’s contract with Royal Never Give Up expired today and there’s been no public announcement regarding an extension. For now, Uzi is a free agent, and he has yet to come forward with any statement on future plans.

Uzi’s uncertain future in pro League of Legends

Uzi has long been one of the best AD Carries in the world. He was the first player to reach 3,000 kills in their career and he held that kil record for many years. Song “Rookie” Eui-jin got a pentakill on March 31, putting him at 3,150. With nine more kills than Uzi (3,141), Rookie took the crown for most professional kills in League of Legends. 

Despite his record being broken, Uzi has been considered one of the best ADCs in the world due to his technical profiency and laning mechanics. Fans were excited to see him and the rest of the Royal Never Give Up crew take on their competition in the 2020 Spring Split, but that never came to be. 

Uzi never competed in the LPL this year due to ongoing injuries he’s been dealing with over the last few years. He opened up about it in a documentary produced by Nike and the LPL, describing how he can’t play for more than a couple hours at a time. That isn’t ideal for a professional League of Legends player, who often scrim and stream for up to 12 hours a day. 

Uzi explained how the pain started at his right shoulder blade and shot down his entire arm. A professional had told him that his arms were similar to that of a “40 to 50 year old.” 

Due to his injury, Uzi sat out of the Spring Split. RNG went on with former Flash Wolves player Lu “Betty” Yu-Hung. They ultimately finished in fourth, which is nothing to scoff at in such a competitive league, but most fans missed seeing Uzi’s hype plays and big-brained strategies. 

Right now, it’s not clear what Uzi’s future in professional League of Legends looks like. Without any official news from either party, it seems quite possible that RNG doesn’t plan on extending his contract for the Summer Split. It’s still a possibility, but it could be unlikely due to the lack of updates and Uzi’s ongoing health problems. 

It’s possible that another team will sign him, including teams from other regions looking for a flash addition. But it’s also possible that Uzi will retire from League of Legends, something that has been hinted at before.

Olivia Richman 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.

View full profile
Read Also
Gen.G vs HLE: Best betting odds and picks for LCK 2026 grand final Esports Betting
Gen.G vs HLE: Best betting odds and picks for LCK 2026 grand final Hannan Mundia The 2026 LCK grand final will see HLE challenge Gen.G to determine which team walks away with the first-place prize, giving the winning team a much-needed confidence boost before the World Championship. After every top professional Korean League of Legends team has poured sweat and time, this year’s LCK split is finally about to conclude. The grand final match will be between the powerhouse team Gen.G and the challenging Hanwha ...
Here Are My Predictions For The Hanwha Life Esports vs T1 LCK Lower Final Esports Betting
Here Are My Predictions For The Hanwha Life Esports vs T1 LCK Lower Final Ben Boland LCK fans are in for a treat as Hanwha Life Esports and T1 both battle for a ticket to the grand final, where Gen.G awaits. The last time these two met, they tore the house down. I expect more of the same this time in the lower final. Here are the best bets to make on HLE vs T1 in the LCK 2026 Summer Playoffs Lower Final at GG.BET, one ...
Riot Games eyes Polymarket and Kalshi for esports sponsorships League of Legends
Riot Games eyes Polymarket and Kalshi for esports sponsorships Michael Hassall Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends and VALORANT is reportedly exploring the protentional of sponsorship deals with prediction market operators including Polymarket and Kalshi, as per reports emerging late last night (Sep. 10). First reported by Cecilia D’Anastasio of Bloomberg, Riot has started conversations with the two top prediction market operators, Kalshi and Polymarket, with a view to one or both of them becoming sponsors within Riot Games’ ...
HLE vs T1: Best Betting Odds and Picks for LCK 2026 Playoffs Esports Betting
HLE vs T1: Best Betting Odds and Picks for LCK 2026 Playoffs Hannan Mundia HLE and T1 will duke it out in the 2026 LCK Playoffs lower bracket final, but which team has a better chance of facing Gen.G in the grand final? This year’s LCK season has been filled with ups and downs. In particular, the top three teams have constantly struggled against each other, but Gen.G managed to get ahead of the fray in the end. Now, HLE and T1 will face ...
Bet Tips and Predictions For Team Vitality vs MKOI LEC Summer Playoffs Esports Betting
Bet Tips and Predictions For Team Vitality vs MKOI LEC Summer Playoffs Ben Boland The LEC playoffs are well underway, and we have Team Vitality taking on MKOI in a do-or-die series. Lose here, and your chances of qualifying for Worlds 2026 go up in smoke. With Vitality getting dismantled by G2 Esports in their opening series, it begs the question whether it was just the G2 playoffs magic, or Vitality are not the team we thought they were. Let’s take a look at ...
LCS Playoffs Round 1 Best Bets: Will C9 Falter? Esports Betting
LCS Playoffs Round 1 Best Bets: Will C9 Falter? Ben Boland The LCS Summer regular season has finally come to a close and six teams will now do battle over the next few weeks with the hope of representing their region at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship. The first round of playoffs is expected to set the tone for what is to be an exciting conclusion to the return of the LCS. Cloud9 and Shopify do battle once again, ...
The Best LCS Summer Split Week 7 Odds: Upsets On The Horizon? Esports Betting
The Best LCS Summer Split Week 7 Odds: Upsets On The Horizon? Ben Boland The LoL betting world is in for a treat this weekend as the LCS Summer Split regular season enters its final week. Everything is to play for, from the battle for first place to who starts life in the upper bracket. Esports betting sites are unsurprisingly covering the games extensively, and here my tips to bet on for each LCS match this weekend. This is a series that could go ...