Xiaoming first discusses being contract-locked by RNG.

The LPL organizes an Old-timer Cup every offseason. Recently, it was revealed that this edition will feature star players such as TheShy and Uzi. Thus, many LPL fans wish for MSI triple champion Xiaoming to accompany Uzi in the tournament, given that a large portion of the LPL audience are supporters of Uzi and Xiaoming. Some viewers even claim that if the Old-timer Cup has TheShy, Uzi, and Xiaoming, its hype would exceed the LPL's.

However, recently LOL support player Xiaoming dampened fans' expectations. He stated he has no interest in the next Old-timer Cup, preferring to play "Delta Force." For LOL, he only engages in casual modes now, avoiding ranked matches entirely. Many viewers found his remarks puzzling, and some wondered why he refuses to play LOL ranked games. Xiaoming's reason is straightforward: playing LOL holds no purpose for him. Other LOL pros train in ranked to prepare for returning to competition.

Currently, his contract is locked by RNG until many years later, so he feels no need to train in LOL, as he won't be returning to professional play. This statement sparked调侃 from LOL live-stream comments, with some viewers "stirring the pot," saying "you signed the contract yourself, you can't blame RNG." Seeing these comments, Xiaoming rebutted during his stream, clarifying he never complained about RNG "contract-locking" him because he indeed signed the agreement. Moreover, unlike Uzi, when signing, he already intended to retire and "enjoy life," so being contract-locked by RNG doesn't bother him—he never planned to return to competitive play.

Xiaoming reveals conditions for joining the Old-timer Cup.

After clearly stating he won't participate in the "Old-timer Cup," many viewers in his live-stream comments still urged him to reconsider. In response, Xiaoming outlined his participation criteria: only if his former RNG teammates—top laner Yan Junze, mid laner Zitai, jungler Karsa, and AD carry Uzi—all agree to join the Old-timer Cup, then he would also compete. Following this announcement, many fans began anticipating this "nostalgia-filled" old RNG lineup.

Some even believe that if this old RNG squad can be assembled, its participation热度 might exceed the LPL's popularity, given the team's immense fanbase and热度 are "unmatched." However, others argue that this "old RNG" cannot be formed in the Old-timer Cup, as past editions mostly used a "random draft" mechanism for player selection. Except for the previous tournament where Uzi and Xiaoming were捆绑 together, other players were randomly assigned to teams.

Nevertheless, some viewers suggest that instead of强行拆分 players, the Old-timer Cup could allow certain players with shared history and话题 to form teams voluntarily, enhancing the tournament's entertainment value and话题度. For instance, reuniting IG's top laner TheShy, jungler Ning, AD carry Puff, support Baolan, etc., would undoubtedly create another highly watched "nostalgia team." Matches between old RNG and old IG would surely attract massive viewer discussion and attention.

Conclusion

Xiaoming's current situation is fundamentally different from when Uzi was contract-locked. Uzi was still at his peak and eager to continue competing, but RNG's contract restrictions prevented him from playing. Now, support player Xiaoming is in a "半摆烂" state, with no desire to return, so being contract-locked by RNG is inconsequential to him. Do you think if Uzi hadn't been contract-locked by RNG back then, he might have had a chance to win a world championship?