Uzi says he will return to pro League of Legends if health improves
Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao may have retired from Royal Never Give Up, but his goal of staying a League of Legends pro are still fresh on his mind.
Uzi has long been considered one of the best ADC pros in the world. He was the first player to reach 3,000 kills in their career and he held that kill record for many years. But recently, Uzi has not been seeing much action.
Due to ongoing injuries, Uzi sat out of the 2020 LPL Spring Split, leaving RNG to play with Lu “Betty” Yu-Hung instead. He explained in a documentary for the LPL in partnership with Nike that he couldn’t play League of Legends for more than a couple hours at a time due to pain in his right arm.
Uzi became a
free agent
at the beginning of May after his contract with RNG expired. For a while, the League of Legends community wondered if the superstar veteran would be signed by RNG again, taken by another top team, or if he’d retire altogether.
On June 3, Uzi announced that he was retiring from professional play due to developing type two diabetes, caused by chronic stress, obesity, and a bad diet.
In the interview, Uzi said that practicing 10 hours a day had become difficult mentally and physically. He began to wonder if he could carry on. It wasn’t helping that his diabetes medicine had led to a loss in appetite and a feeling of exhaustion. Training became very difficult.
“An average pro player’s peak has to be two years because his psychological endurance will affect the form of his entire career. I think how far your peak can continue depends on how much you’re able to endure,” Uzi explained.
Could Uzi return to League of Legends?
After eight years playing professional Leauge of Legends, the star ADC is no longer able to endure the constant practice and scrimmaging. He has officially retired, but told fans that he’s not opposed to coming back if his health allowed.
“If I can recover at my best, or if I can slowly get better, I still really want to return to this stage,”
Uzi told Chinese Network Television.
For now, Uzi can retire knowing he left an impact on the League of Legends scene, including skills that inspired many other pro players.
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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