Former RNG AD carry and Worlds finalist Uzi officially retired from his eight-year career as a League of Legends pro earlier today. Although it wasn’t unexpected, numerous fans and players have responded to the legend’s retirement.
Fnatic’s own legendary ADC, Rekkles, shared a video today in which he thanked Uzi for being an inspiration for him as a player and as a person.
“Ever since I saw your Vayne play at Worlds 2013, I’ve looked up to you,” Rekkles said. “You’ve been a huge motivator for my growth as a player. Seeing someone with so much passion and sheer grit for the game gave me inspiration to show mine as well.”
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Uzi and Rekkles had a competitive rivalry over the years since both of them have tried to be the best ADC in the world since 2012. Rekkles mentioned Uzi in interviews several times as the player he wanted to face in international tournaments.
They faced off many times in international tournaments, such as the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational, where RNG won every matchup against Fnatic. They also played together at the 2016 All-Stars event in a fun tournament with a tandem format.
They didn’t face each other at the 2018 World Championship, but Uzi named his account “FNC Rekkles1” during his boot camp in preparation for the event. Rekkles responded by renaming his account “RNeverGiveUp Uzi.”
Their most recent match was the last game of the 2019 World Championship group stage. Rekkles got emotional after picking up a significant win against a team that beat him several times before, but it also ended RNG’s journey at Worlds. It was unknown at that time that this would be the last match of Uzi’s career.
It’s unclear if or when fans will see Uzi involved in League esports again. When he didn’t compete in the 2020 LPL Spring Split, he streamed some games. He could also take a long hiatus to recover from his injuries or make an appearance as an analyst or coach in the LPL in the future.
The 2020 LPL Summer Split begins on June 5. The 2020 LEC Summer Split kicks off on June 12.
