Although he has been retired for quite some time, Uzi, as the number one legend of League of Legends in China, is still a name mentioned whenever the region experiences any performance fluctuations. Especially if that fluctuation relates to RNG – the team that Uzi has become a symbol of, the once legendary ADC of LPL is continuously called upon.
However, at a time when RNG has just been crowned the MSI 2021 champions, Uzi was mentioned in a rather unflattering way, as the trio of casters Wawa, Miller, and Changmao – who participated in the live commentary of both the 2018 and 2021 MSI finals – made negative remarks aimed at this former player.
Wawa: I believe RNG has not ruled out any strategies that give them a chance to win. Wei protected Xiaohu very well, which shows that RNG has heavily focused on top lane in their practice, and it clearly resulted in easier victories compared to other strategies. No team dares to claim they play around this lane or that lane but rather adjust based on the actual performance of the players.
Miller: RNG has clearly done everything they can to achieve victory. The formula they found is to protect Xiaohu, so he is able to lead the game.
Wawa: I mean no offense, but clearly, RNG never played around top lane before, right? Because Uzi was always the one who needed the most resources on the team to carry. But currently, GALA doesn’t demand anything and still manages to do similar things in the bot lane.
Changmao: Potential rising stars like GALA and Cryin are still very young, with a bright future ahead. It’s worth mentioning that perhaps due to their “youngest” status, or their inherent personalities, when they don’t get resource allocation or have to suffer disadvantages while laning, they don’t show attitudes that worsen the team atmosphere. Especially GALA, even when not given resources or being pressured in lane, has never frowned or sulked by refusing to communicate with teammates. I say RNG this year is a once-in-a-century lineup, and this is a key point.
After the conclusion of MSI 2021, the comparison of GALA with Uzi is quite natural, as both are ADCs who have brought glory to the LPL region at the MSI stage. In fact, most experts believe that GALA will help RNG go further than what Uzi achieved, as this ADC possesses a more independent playstyle and doesn’t require as many resources as Uzi.
Nevertheless, the LPL casters’ comments that implied a sarcastic view of Uzi’s competitive attitude sparked considerable debate, with many arguing that, given Uzi’s status as a star player, requiring support from teammates is only natural. Meanwhile, others agreed with the aforementioned three casters, believing that the RNG roster in 2021 is stronger than in 2018 thanks to GALA’s differing playstyle compared to his predecessor.