Uzi Cup announced with $144,589 Self-Funded Prize Pool

Teased last month by the former star of Chinese League of Legends, the Uzi Cup has now officially been announced in collaboration with the Huya streaming platform, with open qualifiers set to begin in less than a week. Featuring a prize pool of approximately €125,044 (around $144,589), entirely funded by Jian "Uzi" Zi-Hao himself, the tournament will run from March 14 until April 3, when one of the six participating teams will be crowned during the grand finals and take home two-thirds of the total prize pool.

Jokingly referred to as an “Old Man Cup,” in reference to the Legend Cup also hosted by Huya, the new tournament aims to give older players a chance to compete, as one of its only requirements is for a team’s average age to be above 24, verified via ID. The organizers also explained that applicants will be evaluated based on factors such as their current in-game rank, past competitive experience, and personal influence.

Divided into three stages—open qualifiers, group stage, and playoffs—the Uzi Cup officially begins with its registration period, announced alongside the tournament. As noted earlier, the competition is designed to focus on an older demographic, requiring teams to have an average age of 24 or older. Through this selection process, five teams will be formed by inviting captains, who will then participate in a player draft to compete their roster, choosing from a wide pool of selected players as well as the top four performers from the open qualifiers. The winner of the open qualifiers will bypass this process entirely and earn a direct spot in the main tournament.

One of the most surprising aspects of the open qualifiers—the first phase of the competition—is the use of an “anonymous draft mode.” In this format, teams compete without revealing their identities, forcing players to rely solely on their own skill rather than adapting to known opponents.

Once the qualifiers and drafts conclude, all six teams will advance to a straightforward group stage, followed by the playoffs, for which full details have yet to be announced.

The action is heating up, and the Uzi Cup is set to begin in just a few days. With a large prize pool entirely funded by the Hall of Legends inductee himself, there’s much more than glory at stake for everyone competing in the inaugural tournament. To catch all the excitement, tune in to Uzi’s own Huya stream, where the competition will be broadcast live. To make sure you don’t miss a single moment—and to keep track of the stakes of each match—here’s all the key information you need, from scheduling to prizes: