When a League of Legends team changed ownership for a little over $1 million, it caused quite a commotion in the Western gaming community. However, news out of China suggests that the signing fee for just one player could soon make that amount seem insignificant.
According to a report on TheScoreEsports, Jian “Uzi” Zihao, the current AD Carry for OMG, is at the center of a transfer bidding war in China. The current bids for Uzi are said to be in excess of 50,000,000RMB, which equates to around $7.85 million.
OMG previously stated that the player’s contract buyout clause had an unattainable figure, but it seems that Royal Club and Invictus Gaming are determined to secure Uzi’s services. If the transfer goes through at this price, it would not only surpass the transfer fee for any other player in esports history, but also exceed the price of any whole team sold in League of Legends. This potential signing could therefore be a significant milestone for the game.
While it’s important to approach this news with caution, considering the rapid growth of League of Legends—more people watched the World Championships in 2014 than the World Series—it is not entirely unbelievable that transfer fees for top players may soon rival those of traditional athletes.
[Riot Games Image]
