Riot Games has introduced Jian “Uzi” Zihao as the second player in the Hall of Legends, an honorary title for the best League of Legends Esports players in history.
Uzi has been playing professional League of Legends since 2012, and he’s known as the best bot laner in the game’s history. He started in the LPL with Royal Club before joining RNG, which is where he made his mark.
He participated in the 2013 and 2014 World Championship Finals. While his team didn’t secure the wins either year, his performance was still outstanding. In 2018, his performance in the LPL stood out, and he secured two pentakills during the season and won his first international title at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI).
His noteworthy gameplay and tenacity was honored in the 2018 Worlds music video, where fans can see him playing as Varus.
Through all of this, he connected with fans and was aggressively competitive, which gave him the nickname Mad Dog. His attitude helped push esports into the mainstream in China.
While he’s retired now, Uzi still stands out as one of the esports players who shaped his role. Global Head of LoL Esports, Chris Greeley, said:
“Uzi’s legacy goes beyond his titles and achievements; he changed the way we view the bot lane role and left a permanent mark on League of Legends Esports. His passion and determination have inspired millions, and once we saw the voting breakdown from the global votes, it was clear that Uzi had left his mark on LoL Esports. We are honored to induct him in the Hall of Legends.”
As a Hall of Legends inductee, Uzi will be honored in the game starting June 11. Then, League of Legends will release an event pass that has cosmetics and clips that show off Uzi’s most impactful moments.
There haven’t been too many details released quite yet. However, players may see Uzi somewhere on the Summoner’s Rift map itself, which is what happened during Faker’s Hall of Legends event.
A trailer was released for Uzi’s Hall of Legends induction, which gives a bit more insight into just how ruthless his gameplay was. Fans can watch it below:
Uzi will be officially honored at the Hall of Legends Induction on June 6, where Mercedes-Benz will be show off a custom piece of art that honors Uzi. This will be a blend of reality and the universe of League of Legends, and it will feature some of Uzi’s most notable achievements in the game.
Additionally, Uzi will be gifted a custom Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Bettina Fetzer, Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Digital and Communication and Mercedes-Benz AG, shared comments:
“We want to honour Uzi with something as individual and unique as his career: a MANUFAKTUR customized G-Class with EQ Technology. This one-of-a-kind vehicle shall be a steady companion, always reminding him of his great achievements.”
Players will be able to learn more about Uzi and his career at the official Hall of Legends site starting on May 27.
To catch up on the rest of League of Legends esports news, check out the new First Stand Tournament and the T1 CEO’s comments on Gumayusi.
