Uzi announces self-funded League of Legends tournament with $130K prize pool

Retired professional League of Legends player Jian “Uzi” Zihao has announced a new tournament scheduled to take place later this month, featuring a prize pool of 1 million RMB (about $130,000).

Uzi revealed the event during a stream on the Chinese platform Huya. The tournament, first reported by LPL Insider, will feature multiple teams competing for the self-funded prize pool.

##Uzi to host 1 million RMB LoL tournament

According to the announcement, the tournament will run from March 23 through April 3. Registration opens March 9, followed by open qualifiers from March 14–19. A draft event on March 20 will determine the final team rosters.

The tournament will use Fearless Draft rules. Early rounds will be played as best-of-one matches, with playoffs moving to best-of-three series. The grand final will be a best-of-five. With 1,000,000 RMB on the line, approximately $137,000 USD, and funded by Uzi himself, the winning team will receive 660,000 RMB, the largest share of the pool. Teams are expected to include a mix of former and current LPL players, along with high-Elo players from the Chinese solo queue ladder.

Uzi is widely regarded as one of the most influential players in the Chinese League of Legends scene. He rose to international prominence during the Season 3 World Championship and spent most of his career with Royal Never Give Up (formerly Royal Club). He also had a stint with OMG in 2015 and brief runs with Bilibili Gaming and EDward Gaming toward the end of his professional career.