The agents must face their past mistakes. Watch the 5th-anniversary VALORANT music video, featuring EGO by Qing Madi as Mary Ade.
Qing Madi performed EGO for VALORANT’s powerful and emotional fifth anniversary music video. For the first time, fans are introduced to Phoenix’s sister, Mary Ade, shedding light on their complicated relationship. As the team faces one of their most challenging missions yet, tensions run high, and when a teammate is seriously injured, the stakes become deeply personal.
5th anniversary music video EGO
During a high-stakes mission, Killjoy is gravely injured, leaving the team — Brimstone, Raze, Phoenix, and Reyna — deeply shaken. As they grapple with the weight of the moment, each reflects on a time when their own ego clouded their judgment, costing them someone they deeply cared about. The cinematic also offers a powerful glimpse into Phoenix’s past, revealing how a fire sparked by his powers drove a painful wedge between him and his sister, Mary.
Once the team reaches a safe location, Sage arrives just in time to help Killjoy and attempts to resurrect her. But bringing someone back from the brink comes at a cost. Her resurrection ability takes a heavy toll, slowly crystallizing parts of her body, implying that she may be sacrificing her own vitality. This haunting moment echoes Omen’s in-game quote to Sage: “Sage, the life you give… do you ever wonder where it's taken from?”
Why We Fight is the cinematic’s title, reflecting each agent’s path to redemption. They fight for those they've lost. For "love" with Killjoy and Raze, and "family" for Reyna and her sister. Towards "redemption" about Phoenix and Mary, and "recognition" from Brimstone and the dead agent. Finally, for "life" about Sage. All these words have been shared by VALORANT on their social media as hints for the new track.
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For those who played VALORANT
“Her song, EGO, captures the heart of our 2025 celebration: it reflects the duality between honoring the players who’ve stood by us over the years and the emotional struggles our agents face, especially Phoenix,” said David Nottingham, Creative Director of VALORANT.
Anna Donlon, Studio Head of VALORANT, added that this anniversary is a chance to reflect on “the opportunities, moments of reflection, and new challenges” that players have brought to the game over the past five years.
Lead Music Supervisor Jonny Altepeter also shared insights into the musical direction: “Qing Madi was the perfect match for Mary Ade. Her raw demo of EGO immediately captured the emotional depth we wanted to explore in this cinematic. It became a powerful foundation for deeper storytelling within the VALORANT universe.”
That's all about the new VALORANT cinematic for now. Stick around for more VALORANT news, guides, and updates on esports.gg.
