Uzi not listed on RNG’s Summer Split roster, contract removed from GCD

Royal Never Give Up announced Monday their line-up for the 2020 LPL Summer Split and team’s flag bearer Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao is notably not on it. RNG listed Lu “Betty” Yu-Hung as the only AD Carry on the eight-player roster, while Uzi was officially removed from the Global Contracts Database on May 30.

This has caused heavy speculations about the future of Uzi, who was sidelined for the entire 2020 Spring Split due to the wrist pains that have plagued him throughout much of his career. Not being listed on the GCD and the RNG roster could therefore hint that retirement is in the plans for the AD Carry. Another explanation could mean that Uzi will be changing teams, though his name is as synonymous with RNG as is Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok’s with T1.

If Uzi indeed announces retirement, it would mean the end of the career of one of game’s most prolific players and perhaps the greatest AD Carry in League of Legends history. A two-times Worlds silver medalist, Uzi is arguably LoL’s best player to never win the Summoner’s Cup, despite coming into several World Championships as the heavy favorite. The most recent example included 2018, in which year RNG won both LPL splits and MSI and many saw them as the first team ever to accomplish the grand slam of all four major titles within one year. At Worlds, however, RNG finished only top 8, following it up with a disappointing 2019, which saw them eliminated in groups at Worlds.

RNG are yet to officially comment on the reason for Uzi’s absence from the roster and what it means for the carry’s career.