In League of Legends , Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao was considered the best AD carry in the world in 2018 and one of the best LoL players overall. Now he talks about injuries and wear and tear caused by intense gaming. These affect the entire body, especially the arms of the 22-year-old. Nike and fans recommend more fitness in eSports.
Who is Uzi? In the eSports of LoL, the Chinese Uzi (22) is a well-known figure. He has been with “Royal Never Give Up” since 2016, a top team in China.
Uzi has been playing in the league since 2012, has participated in five World Championships, won the important MSI in 2018, and several national championships in the LPL in China over the years. However, the very big title at the LoL World Championship, the Worlds, eluded him.
Uzi is considered a mechanically perfect ADC player in League of Legends. Especially in this role, players need to click a lot, quickly and precisely. Only then are they considered to have “good mechanics”.
For a long time, Uzi had a reputation for not being able to control his nerves, but that had improved over the years, or so we thought: During the Worlds 2018, Uzi was banned for “feeding” in the Korean solo queue.
Before the LoL Worlds 2018, Uzi was considered perhaps the best player in the world: There was a belief that he would certainly make his mark on the Worlds. However, RNG and Uzi surprisingly exited in the quarter-finals against the Europeans from G2 Esports.
Nevertheless, many LoL fans consider Uzi to be “the best ADC in the world” – though of course, this can always be debated:
Fitness Test at Nike Shows Bad Results
This is what Uzi says: In a video for Nike (via weibo), Uzi explains what 7 years of LoL at that level have done to his body.
In the video, several Chinese LoL professionals talk about how broken they feel after intense playing late into the night every time. Because the Chinese professionals have only been gaming for years and have not sought balance.
According to the experts and statistics shown in the video:
- The average career of a LoL player lasts only 2.6 years
- Players reach their peak at just 20 years old
Uzi is 22 but already has been a pro for 7 years. In Nike’s fitness test, he says the years of gaming take their toll:
“Once I went to the hospital for a check-up and the doctor told me my arms resembled those of a 40 or 50-year-old. He really told me that.”
The worst spot is his right shoulder, which pulls down the whole arm: “It feels like my arm is already retired.”
A Twitter user compiled Uzi’s fitness stats from the video. During the fitness checkup at Nike, Uzi does not look as good as he does on the bot lane:
As the page Dexerto reports, these injuries are now affecting the career of the just 22-year-old. He often takes months-long breaks when it is not as important for his team RNG. He has been considering retirement since 2015.
But in 2019, Uzi seems determined to give it one more shot. Royal Never Give Up has already qualified for the Worlds 2019. Unlike TSM, who did not make it:
Nike and Fans Recommend More Fitness
What is the video about? The promotional video seeks to connect Chinese LoL with the Nike brand, which aims to represent fitness. They have entered into a partnership and Nike pursues commercial goals with the video: They want to strengthen the bond between LoL and fitness.
The video essentially shows,
- that LoL players like Uzi are in terrible physical condition
- that in reflexes and hand-eye coordination they rank among the top percent – here eSports athletes have their strength
Nike wanted to show the LoL players through these tests: “You also need to do something for your fitness if you want to have a longer career in eSports and tap into your full potential.”
In the second half of the video, personal trainers get to work with the LoL players. The players, in turn, put out messages about how hard it is to be a pro and that you must always give your best.
The video ends with Uzi and other LoL stars from the LPL struggling through some exercises, not looking particularly happy, while the fitness trainer smiles kindly and says: “This is just the beginning, my little friends.”
This is how it is being discussed: On reddit , LoL fans are watching with concern as one of their favorites is damaging himself through his own super-fast play. One says: “In 5 minutes, he clicks more than others do in an entire game.”
However, fans on reddit also recommend more fitness training.
In the Overwatch League, many pros prioritized fitness right from the start:
