EDG Valorant star features in Vogue video shoot
Colin Young-Wolff/Riot GamesEDG’s star Valorant player Zheng ‘ZmjjKK’ Yongkang appeared in a Chinese VOGUEplus video shoot that featured young emerging athletes.
EDward Gaming vaulted into the spotlight in Valorant in 2023 after impressive international runs that saw the team put Chinese Valorant on the map. At VCT Masters Tokyo and Valorant Champions 2023, EDG placed in the top six and beat some of the best teams from the Americas, EMEA and Pacific.
The entire EDG squad had its moments internationally, but the team’s star, ZmjjKK, stole the spotlight time and time again with his flashy sniper play, willingness to trash talk, and on-stage celebrations.
Now, the Valorant star is spending some time in the mainstream spotlight thanks to a Vogue+ video in which he stars alongside fellow rising young sports stars.
Valorant star ZmjjKK featured in Vogue
Vogue+ is a Gen-Z-focused edition of Vogue that launched in 2021. The video that features ZmjjKK, wearing retro sunglasses and with his hair dyed blue, is part of the publication’s “COOL KIDS” series. The series also features other young Chinese athletes in non-traditional sports like Cai Danlin, a professional golfer, and Chen YiFan, a competitive rock climber.
Vogue+ZmjjKK definitely fits the bill as an emerging athlete in the region. He helped China secure its first win in Valorant esports at Masters Tokyo, defeating NAVI in an elimination match in the group stage of the tournament. The team also breezed through the group stage at Champions, defeating Giants Gaming twice en route to the playoffs.
The Chinese sniper’s stock became so big during Valorant Champions that even he had to admit that he was a bit overrated by the time EDG was knocked out.
“ZmjjKK on the field is agile and brave. He believes that every game of his is ‘burning his own life’ and enjoying the feeling of being under the spotlight,” Vogue+ said about the Valorant player.
EDG and ZmjjKK will get that chance to continue their rise in Valorant, and the world, in 2024 with the start of the VCT Chinese league.