Introduction: The S16 season has officially kicked off, and most players have been closely following the recent clashes. Competitions across major regions have been quite intense. Discussions about Uzi have been very active these days; as the hottest pro player in the LPL region, his comeback has sparked widespread fan excitement online. Recently, he also showed support for the Winter Olympic athletes, but what seemed like a simple message drew harsh criticism from some haters, even jokingly calling Uzi the Executive Vice Goat, one of the dual legends in the LOL scene. During a livestream, he openly expressed his wish to organize a fun showdown called the Little Jujube Cup, hoping to invite Theshy to participate.

Uzi cheers on the Winter Olympic athletes

Most players are quite familiar with Uzi. As a top-tier professional in the LPL, his overall popularity and influence are undeniable. His recent break made fans miss him a lot, and his return instantly ignited the entire online community. After his first broadcast, he publicly cheered for the Chinese Winter Olympic athletes, wishing them steady performance and great achievements. This was a very positive gesture that deserved encouragement. After all, he was the first champion of the Chinese Asian Games exhibition match and the team captain back then. That gold medal remains his pride. Logically, this post should have been praised, but instead, it attracted a wave of negative attacks from haters.

Many joked that he is the Executive Vice Goat, one of the two legends in the LOL scene. Everyone knows that in esports, there is only one true GOAT, Faker from the LCK region’s T1 team — a six-time World Champion and Asian Games gold medalist, honors unmatched by any other pro player. Honestly, in terms of popularity, Uzi is indeed second only to Faker, but many LPL fans do not accept this, while numerous foreign fans strongly support Uzi. It’s just unfortunate that the S8 season was so rough; if RNG had defeated G2 and won the final that year, RNG would have become the ultimate top-tier team in popularity.

In a recent livestream, Uzi also spoke about his comeback, stating that he won’t return to pro play due to the immense pressure and long timeline, which his body can’t handle. Currently, he just plays casual matches with friends to entertain everyone and add some fun. Later, during the LPL off-season, he plans to host a Little Jujube Cup or Uzi Cup, fully sponsoring the prize pool. The event won’t last long, and everyone can look forward to it. This announcement quickly sparked lively discussions among netizens, as Uzi’s influence should attract many current and retired players.

Many are debating whether top laner Theshy will be invited since he is also resting now and streaming actively. If he teams up with Uzi, the event’s hype would likely explode, possibly surpassing the attention of the LPL grand finals. Fans can look forward to this showdown. Players like Xiaoming, Ning, and Zitao are probably confirmed participants. This entertainment showdown might even be an official initiative since the league’s popularity has dropped significantly and urgently needs high-level entertainment to boost domestic interest.

Farewell thoughts

Who would have thought that Uzi supporting the Winter Olympic athletes would also be mocked by haters? He is undoubtedly a benchmark in China’s esports industry, with the Asian Games exhibition gold medal proving it all. Honestly, if there were another Asian Games showdown, many hope Uzi could return to competition. Currently, no AD carry can match the top LCK players, and back then, Uzi versus Ruler was legendary.

What do all of you viewers think about this matter?