NRG came back to beat EDG at the VALORANT Champions 2025. At the post-match conference, ZmjjKK addressed the team’s mistakes.
At VALORANT Champions 2025, Group C’s opening match saw EDward Gaming (EDG) face NRG, ending in a loss for the Chinese team. In the post-match press conference, the players and head coach reflected on their performance and outlined areas for improvement ahead of their next match, a crucial elimination game against Team Liquid.
Map rotation and Sage's comeback to the meta
When asked about Sage's preference compared to other sentinels, especially following her recent buffs, EDG coach Tang "Muggle" Shijun explained that these changes made Sage align more closely with the team's playstyle and overall strategy. Her ability to place walls from a distance perfectly complements the "fast speed and execution" that EDG is known for. "I think Sage has more utility to do those kinds of things, but also the disadvantage of not being as flexible as other Sentinels," the coach added.
EDG was one of the teams that, rather than banning Abyss, chose to embrace the map. According to their Head Coach, Abyss “is really good for the attack side”. The players don’t need extensive map control, but, on the other side, it’s extremely difficult to retake.
Jieni7's international debut
On Sept. 13, Zhang "Jieni7" Juntai made his international debut at the VALORANT Champions 2025 with EDG. The duelist acknowledged that he plans to perform even better in the next match. He notes that there are some adjustments to make ahead of the upcoming games.
Since it was EDG’s first match of the tournament, the team felt they needed to adapt to both the arena and the game’s pace. “We just need to take it step by step,” said 2024 Champions winner Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang. He emphasized that the match outcome was entirely on the team, as they didn’t perform as hoped. “Maybe it’s because we always have a slow start,” he added.
Reflecting on their loss, ZmjjKK acknowledged, “Our own mistakes held us back.” Looking ahead, he said, “I’m looking forward to playing against them next time.” The next fight will be against Team Liquid, a well-known opponent from the Chinese team.
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