Introduction: The S16 season has officially started, and the majority of players have been paying attention to the recent confrontations. The matches between the LPL and LCK regions have been quite fierce. Recently, HLE’s overall form has been very unstable. They brought in many talented players during the transfer window, but their performance has been average, with only one victory to date. The AD player Xiaolübu has become a major target of criticism. Recently, Riot officially launched a vote for the top AD player, with only two candidates: Uzi and Gumayusi. In the end, Xiaolübu won by a landslide, prompting many netizens to joke about how the organizers might have rigged it.

Riot's official troll vote for the world's best AD player

Most players are quite familiar with League of Legends. As an esports game, it has grown remarkably over just a decade. However, in the past two years, the game's popularity has fluctuated significantly. The retirement of many top players has caused a rapid decline in interest. The most notable example is the LPL’s AD player Uzi, whose popularity is undeniable—his matches are always sold out. After finishing his last professional game with EDG, he has completely stepped away from the pro scene, with no plans to return so far.

Recently, Riot launched a "Best AD" poll on an international platform, sparking widespread discussion among players worldwide. The title was "THEN vs NOW," featuring only two candidates: Uzi, the top AD from the LPL, and Gumayusi, a three-time world champion AD. Unsurprisingly, Gumayusi crushed the vote, with about 150,000 participants. Gumayusi received 78% of the votes, while Uzi got only 22%. In terms of historical achievements, Gumayusi currently holds the highest honors among AD players; previously, Bang had only won two world championships.

Many LPL fans joked that Riot was trolling, as the vote seemed unfair due to the huge gap in achievements between the two players. Numerous foreign fans commented that while Uzi might not be your favorite ADC, he is likely the idol of your favorite ADC. New players today might not realize that the ADC playstyle they use originated from the ADC god Uzi. It’s clear that Xiaogou’s reputation overseas remains strong. Globally, Uzi is probably the only player who can rival Faker, making him the closest competitor.

HLE’s overall performance has been very poor recently, especially the newly added players. The jungler Kanavi and AD Xiaolübu have been inconsistent, while the mid laner Zeka has been the standout performer. It feels like this team might soon fall from grace. Coach Hongmi’s lineup and draft strategy don’t fit the LCK style. Last season, they won the first split and swept all opponents at the World Pioneers event, but this season they might not even qualify, given the stable form of Gen.G and T1, and DK’s current undefeated record.

Farewell thoughts

Who would have thought Riot would launch such a vote? As some fans said, one player isn’t that weak, and the other isn’t that strong. Despite never winning a World Championship, Uzi still has a massive global fanbase thanks to his exceptional mechanics and extreme mental focus—his flank engages with Vayne, Kai'Sa’s miraculous dodges of Graves’ ultimate—these moments are truly irreplaceable.

What do you all think about this matter?