VALORANT Champion Faces “Career Crisis”
In 2024, the EDG team from China achieved a significant milestone by winning the global championship in VALORANT, marking an important chapter in the country’s esports landscape. This success has propelled Kang Kang (Zmjjkk), the star player of the team, into the spotlight, making him one of the most talked-about names in the gaming community.
However, just a year after his triumph, Kang Kang unexpectedly found himself embroiled in a controversy with streamer CXY. Notably, CXY was once a VALORANT competitor but shifted to creating content on livestream platforms due to various controversies related to player rankings, which forced him to change his focus. Tensions escalated when fans of CXY began to spam and attack Kang Kang during a live stream, causing him to lose his composure and lash out at CXY live on air.
Before this incident, Kang Kang and CXY had a relatively good relationship. However, when CXY faced accusations regarding player rankings, Kang Kang even contributed to the criticism. Unfortunately, this friendly rapport deteriorated rapidly as CXY’s fans consistently engaged in controversial actions, spamming and attacking Kang Kang during numerous livestreams.
Despite having repeatedly expressed his desire for CXY to control his fanbase, the situation persisted. The tipping point came during a recent livestream when Kang Kang lost his patience and sharply countered, “I am the champion, what is he?“. This statement immediately sparked outrage in the community, quickly escalating the conflict.
VALORANT Fans Criticize the Champion?
Almost immediately, many streamers and individuals within the esports community rallied in support of Kang Kang. Commentator Ye Lian even went so far as to declare: “We have a global champion and FMVP in the inaugural year of VALORANT. The other party, a former player, has been accused of selling accounts but still can livestream to profit from this drama.”
However, there were also several opinions criticizing CXY, suggesting he could not control the overall narrative spoken by his devoted fans and should not be overly criticized. In reality, the phenomenon of famous individuals facing backlash from their fandoms is not uncommon. Even in Vietnam, there have been numerous recent incidents of this nature. A notable example is the recent situation involving streamer Mixi, which caused a stir in the gaming community.
