Six LOL players from the Chinese RNG squad. /Tencent Sport
The Royal Never Give Up (RNG) team from China's e-sport League of Legends (LOL) professional players won the trophy after beating KZ team from South Korea by 3-1 during the Mid-season Invitational (MSI) on May 20 in Paris.
The RNG squad ascended to the greatness with six players led by "Uzi" Jian Zihao, aged 21, who is recognized as the ace marksman in the team and one of the best ADC (Attack Damage Carry) players in the world.
Established in 2015, MSI is the biggest LOL tournament in the first six months of 2018 and the second most important aside from the World Champions throughout the year. This time, the international title also marks the second trophy owned by Chinese championship region LPL during the MSI, as the first one was earned by Chinese team EDward Gaming who defeated SKT from South Korea in the 2015 finals.
After RNG won the Spring Split campaign of the LPL in April, the team has solid claims to the throne because the used-to-be-top competitor SKT was utterly destroyed at World Champions last year.
Uzi made himself known for his highly mechanic skills early in the 2013 World Championships. Starting his RNG career since 2016, he has shown resilience in the match and could be one of the representatives revealing the booming development of e-sport across China in recent years.
Speaking of his next goal, Uzi said he would continue leading the team in the upcoming season. To reduce his teammates' pressure, he said, "Don't worry, you can trust me and the coach," according to Tencent Sport.
In the first half of 2017, sales revenue of the sports industry reached 36 billion yuan (5.1 billion US dollars), up 43.2 percent from the previous year, as China hosted more than a hundred large and medium-sized e-sport tournaments. The game industry has also expanded into internet, film, television and other cultural and entertainment sectors across the country. Currently, China leads all other nations in gaming sales.
