Former Dallas Fuel and Paris Eternal DPS player Ki-hyo “Xzi” Jung has joined the Florida Mayhem, the organization announced on Friday. This news comes just weeks before the fifth Overwatch League season begins. After retiring from the league due to health concerns, Xzi is ready to compete again, joining the Mayhem for 2022.
The #1 gunslinger is making a journey to Florida.
Welcome to the squad, @xzi_ow!! pic.twitter.com/FPmJKr8h3O
— Florida Mayhem (@FLMayhem) April 22, 2022
The return of a top talent
Xzi’s history in the Overwatch League is an interesting one, going from top rookie to injured star. He made a name for himself playing for Element Mystic in Contenders Korea, a very capable hitscan on a top Korean team. When the Paris Eternal made the decision to add Korean talent to their roster, Xzi was among that group.
When the Paris Eternal reached the top, winning the Summer Showdown in 2020, Xzi and teammate Yeong-han “SP9RK1E” Kim led them there. Despite the team flaming out to the end of the season, Xzi remained a top talent in the league. When the Dallas Fuel decided to get former Element Mystic talent for 2021, Xzi joined their team, but never played a match for them.
This was due to neck and back pain issues, severe enough that he couldn’t compete in the league. He remained on the Dallas Fuel roster for five months, but eventually left the organization. When his pain lessened, Xzi revealed that he wanted to return to the league. After playing as a stand-in on NA Contenders team Solaris, he continued to wait and see if anyone would pick him up. As it turns out, close to the fifth season’s start, the Mayhem took a chance on Xzi.
Mayhem build a deep roster
With this signing, Mayhem have their eighth player for their team. With Xzi, they have three DPS players, including Seung-hun “Checkmate” Baek and Isaiah “Hydron” Rodriguez. Where Checkmate and Hydron both have inexperience playing throughout a full season, Xzi has the experience and results under his belt.
We’ll have to see if Xzi can handle playing in the league again, but if he returns to his Paris Eternal form, the Mayhem got a great talent to use in 2022.
