Chinese VALORANT Teams Making Their Mark in Champions 2023
Chinese VALORANT teams are making waves in the Champions 2023 tournament following a strong performance by EDward Gaming in Masters Tokyo. With their first international win and a top-six placing, Chinese teams are now considered serious contenders for the championship.
Bilibili Gaming’s victory over NRG on August 13 secured their spot in the playoffs, making them one of the two Chinese teams to advance. This achievement, just two months after securing their first international win, demonstrates that the Chinese region is no longer in its developmental stage. It is now a formidable force ready to compete for titles in 2023 and beyond.
EDG: China’s First International VALORANT Team
EDG was the first Chinese VALORANT team to compete internationally. They earned their spot by making it through the East Asia LCQ in 2022, showcasing their talent against the best players in the world. The team had a single roster change, with Qu “Life” Donghao being replaced by Zhang “Smoggy” Zhao. Despite their strong performance in the LCQ, they faced tough opponents in the group stage and were eliminated without a win against Paper Rex and Team Liquid.
As the game had not been officially released in China at the time, their international debut was challenging. However, they had the advantage of scrimming with other Chinese teams and top Pacific region talent, who recognized the skill of players like Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang. This year provided a second chance for EDG to prove themselves, and LOCK//IN showcased both their flaws and their potential.
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In the preseason tournament, EDG took 100 Thieves to the edge, pushing the series to a third map before losing 14-12 on Pearl. This match highlighted the skills of players like ZmjjKK and Wan “CHICHOO” Shunzhi against a popular and talented 100T roster. After qualifying for Masters Tokyo as the second seed, EDG surprised everyone by winning their first series and going on a remarkable run.
EDG is now recognized as a highly skilled team, dispelling the notion that China is a “one-team region.” Another Chinese team, Bilibili Gaming, proved their worth by defeating NRG in two consecutive series, securing their spot in the playoffs alongside EDG. Bilibili Gaming’s rookies, Wang “whz” Haozhe and Zhong “Biank” Jian Fei, showcased exceptional solo plays and took advantage of an unprepared NRG roster to achieve a remarkable upset.
Related: NRG’s Journey in VALORANT Champions Ends with Upset
While EDG has become a serious contender, Bilibili Gaming remains a wild card in Champions 2023 playoffs.
Looking at the remaining teams in the playoffs, there is an equal split of two teams from each region. Given the recent addition of the Chinese region to international play, this speaks volumes about their growth as individual players and as a region overall.
EDG will face Evil Geniuses and BLG will face DRX on August 17. Each team has one loss to spare, but regardless of the tournament outcome, 2023 has been a pivotal year for China to prove themselves in competitive VALORANT.
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