Bilibili Gaming Reportedly Closing In on VALORANT World Champion Smoggy

Zhang “Smoggy” Zhao, a 2024 VALORANT world champion, is reportedly set to leave EDward Gaming and join Bilibili Gaming for the 2027 VCT China season. The potential move was reported on Thursday, November 5, by journalist Tanmay Mhatre of Sheep Esports, but neither organization has officially confirmed it.

Smoggy, 24, has been with EDG since July 2022. During his time with the Chinese organization, he won VALORANT Champions 2024 alongside ZmjjKK, CHICHOO and nobody, defeating Team Heretics 3-2 in the Grand Final.

EDward Gaming Won a Regional Title but Exited Champions 2026 Early

EDG's 2026 season was a mixed one. The team won VCT China Stage 1 in May and finished third at Masters London in June. However, EDG failed to reach the later stages of the Stage 2 playoffs.

Its season ended in the group stage at Champions Shanghai. EDG lost its opening match to LOUD 2-0 before suffering another 2-0 defeat against Global Esports, exiting the tournament without winning a single series. The team's campaign was part of China's historic winless showing at Champions 2026.

Bilibili Gaming Missed Every International Event in 2026

Bilibili Gaming's 2026 campaign was similarly inconsistent. The team finished fourth at VCT China Kickoff, was eliminated in the Stage 1 group stage, and bounced back to claim third place in Stage 2. Even so, BLG failed to qualify for either Masters event or Champions that year.

That marked a step back from 2025, when Bilibili Gaming won VCT China Stage 2 and competed at Champions Paris. Looking ahead to 2027, the organization remains one of the eight partnered teams in VCT China, as detailed in Strafe's complete list of VCT 2027 partner teams.

What Could Bilibili Gaming's 2027 Roster Look Like?

According to Sheep Esports, Smoggy is expected to join Wang “whzy” Haozhe, Marcus “nephh” Tan and Liu “knight” Yuxiang, all of whom are expected to remain with the organization. The report did not identify a fifth player.

Neither Smoggy nor the two organizations has officially confirmed the reported transfer.

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Featured Image Credit: Riot Games

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