Legendary Chinese esports player Jian Zihao, 23, better known by his in-game name Uzi, announced his retirement via social media on June 3. In the post, Uzi explained that he was no longer fit enough to continue playing.

In a statement posted on Weibo, Uzi said that he had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes during a physical examination last year, brought on by stress, obesity, an irregular diet and staying up late. In addition, he has also developed serious issues with his hands. Having tried to change his bad habits and dieting, while also taking medicine and taking more physical activity to lose weight over the past six months, things did not improve.

"My mental state is not as good as before due to the medicine, and the doctor warned that if the situation worsens, there'll soon be complications. Plus, the problems with my hands are relatively serious, so, my physical condition doesn't allow me to go on competing in the game world," he said.

He later thanked his fans, family and team, stating, "This is the end, thank you everyone."

His team, Royal Never Give Up (RNG) later released a statement, praising Uzi as "not only the heart and soul of RNG, but also an icon in the esports world as a whole."

Born in Yichang in the central Hubei province in 1997, Uzi started playing League of Legends (LoL) in 2012 and quickly turned professional, joining the team RNG. The following year, in 2013, he reached the Grand Finals of the League of Legends World Championship for the first time, finishing as runner-up.

In 2018, Uzi went on to win the Mid-Season Invitational world championship — a remarkable achievement having started his career at 15 and winning the world title at 21 — which made him one of the most famous LoL players in the country and even globally.

Uzi has numerous records under his belt. During his first year as a professional, he achieved the best ever record in the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) championship finals at that time, and was the first player in the game's history to reach the world finals for two consecutive years. He is also considered the greatest bot laner of all time and was officially recognized as the No. 1 ADC (Attack Damage Carry) — or "Marksman" — player during the 2018 Worlds event. 

In 2018, Uzi played a significant role in securing victory over South Korea and gold medal for China at the Asian Games in Jakarta during an international LoL tournament, which was a demonstration event for esports. The experience made him extremely proud to be able to represent his country as a member of the national team.

But fame, pressure and bad habits had a negative impact on Uzi, and he suffered from mounting health issues which have taken their toll on his body. As early as 2015, his health started to deteriorate, with Uzi saying: "It was as if my body was saying, 'It's time for a break.'"

Before the final of the 2018 Asian Games, he wrote, "I have to see the doctor for treatment for at least half an hour after every training session and match. But I also believe that the best athletes in every sport in the world reach the top with injuries by pushing through the pain that ordinary people can't bear. That's the price of being an esports player."

However, Uzi also noted, "It was esports that taught me how to go from being a kid to being a man, how to communicate, how to handle my temper, and how to be a better person in addition to my skills."

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