Champions 2022, Istanbul was EDG’s first time playing on the Global stage. While people were mostly in the dark about Chinese teams, we knew that EDG had an electrifying and aggressive play style. Their first game would be against a team with almost the same play style, Paper Rex. After a hard-fought battle against the Apac Giants, they would unfortunately lose and drop down to the lower bracket from where they would eventually go home after losing to Team Liquid.
Ever since Istanbul, EDG has shown incredible skill but has always fallen a little short. They dominate the domestic league but face scrutiny for early exits from international tournaments. The franchising system was implemented in China a year and while other teams were making super teams, EDG kept the same and made zero changes.
Going into Masters Shanghai, there was a lot of hype surrounding EDG. As the arguably best team in China, they had a lot of expectations on them since it was their home ground but EDG bombed out of Masters Shanghai without winning a single map. All these disappointing results were starting to pile up on the players and the early exit from Shanghai might've just been the final nail in the coffin.
EDG lost their first game of stage 2 of the regular season against Wolves Esports. This result was certainly unexpected and made it obvious that changes were necessary. EDG made the tough decision to drop their IGL Haodong and picked up S1Mon. While they also lost their next game, after S1Mon settled in they never looked back, winning stage 2 and qualifying them to Champions as China's first seed.
While EDG were a force to be reckoned with, they were not in everyone's pickems to win the whole thing. It soon became obvious as they lost their second match against the NA powerhouse G2.
The loss to G2 was a second awakening for EDG. While they were down, they were certainly not out. They had to beat their long-time rivals to qualify for the playoffs. The kings of the Pacific, Paper Rex were waiting for them in the lower bracket.
Paper Rex demolished EDG in Icebox and seemed like they were going to run away with it but EDG was not having it. They took Sunset and destroyed Paper Rex in Lotus, sending Paper Rex home and moving on to the playoffs.
EDG faced Trace Esports in their first playoff game, a familiar opponent. Trace Esports had defied everyone's expectations by beating Leviathan, one of the favorites to win Champions, in the group stage. However, EDG swiftly defeated them 2-0. In the next match, EDG faced the strong Sentinels, who had been performing incredibly well since their initial loss to GenG. Sentinels dominated on Haven, but EDG fought back and secured the victory on Lotus. The deciding match took place on Sunset, where Sen has always performed well. Despite TenZ and Zekken's outstanding performance, it was ZmjjKK and his team who emerged victorious.
EDG had defied all expectations and was now in the upper finals. This marked their deepest run in an international tournament. With just 2 more wins, they could make history. However, standing in their way was none other than Aspas, arguably the best player in the world. Aspas was also aiming to make history by winning 2 Champions, in 2022 with Loud and now with Leviathan.
Leviathan won the first map in a heartstopper overtime with a score of 16-14. While this loss might've broken other team's spirits, it wouldn't of EDG’s. They bounced back and won the next 2 maps, Lotus and Abyss. They had done it. They were in the grand finals of Champions. The first Chinese team to do so and in their first year of franchising who better be their opponent but the Los Ninõs aka Team Heretics.
From the beginning Team Heretics were showing incredible skill and were dominating the EMEA league. Even though they had an early exit in Masters Madrid they reached the final in Shanghai, losing only to the unstoppable GenG.
This was it, two teams with everything on the line. The fateful clash between the Boo brothers and the Chinese sniper. Watching Heretics lose in Shanghai Miniboo had everything to prove here in Seoul and then there was ZmjjKK, who was repeatedly told how his region was destined to fail. How they would always be behind no matter how good he was. This was not only for him but for his region as a whole. This was a meeting set up by destiny where only one would come out on top.
Coming from the upper bracket EDG had a map advantage and they banned Ascent and Icebox. Two of Heretic’s strongest maps but that didn't matter as Heretics ran over EDG in Haven. This was devastating as it was EDG’s map pick and this could be the end of the beginning but ZmjjKK wasn't done just yet. He carried and destroyed Heretics on Sunset then won Map 3 too. They were now on map point. One more map and they were world champions. Heretics wouldn't go down that easily and stole back map 4. We were going to Abyss.
Abyss was a map where both teams looked strong so there were no clear favorites. Concluding the first half in an 8-4 manner to EDG it was looking possible. Years of disappointment, years of slander, and upsets led to this moment. Can they do it?
“2 vs 1, Nobody and Smoggy against Boo, but it's one man, what can he do? Against the might of EDG? Absolute squat!”
History had been written, haters were proved wrong. Records were shattered. Years of blood and sweat. 111 kills down, the tears that ZmjjKK had been holding back finally fall down his cheeks realizing what he had just done.
EDG are your 2024 World Champions.
Valorant is an unforgivable game where losing two games could end your year. You don't just win a championship, you have to earn it through sheer grit and hard work. 4 years in the making and finally EDG was on top, and China was on top. No one would ever doubt EDG, no one would ever doubt a region. It was heartbreak for the Los Ninõs but fate had already written EDG’s name in history as the first Chinese World Champions. It is finally their time.
