Active for just a year, Niu “zhe” Zhe is set to join JD Gaming in VCT China, after spending the past season with Rare Atom, according to sources close to Sheep Esports. Despite falling short in the Ascension grand final, the Chinese Duelist will still reach the highest tier of VALORANT esports, signing with one of the country’s most recognized organizations. Wolves Esports has also shown interest in this profile.

A club in search of identity

Despite its strong reputation, particularly in League of Legends, JDG has struggled to find the right momentum and a clear project within Riot Games’ FPS. Whether back in 2023 before the creation of VCT CN, or during the first full season of the official Chinese circuit in 2024, the club failed to achieve any standout results and mostly floated around the middle of the standings. And that situation only slightly improved, and also worsened at times, throughout 2025. For the Kickoff event, the Chinese organization stuck to its familiar pattern, finishing in the 7th–8th range after losses to XLG Esports and Dragon Ranger Gaming.

During the first stage of the VALORANT China Evolution Series, the inter-segment competition that fills the gaps between each part of the official circuit, JDG put together its strongest run since entering the game, finishing Top 4. It was a promising result, highlighted by wins over EDward Gaming and XLG, before falling against Wolves in the semifinals and later being swept 3-0 by Bilibili Gaming in the third-place match. Afterwards, the team returned to disappointing outcomes, once again finishing 9th–10th in Stage 1, Stage 2, and Act 2 of the Evolution Series. A bit of relief eventually arrived in Act 3, where JD Gaming claimed first place, although that result must be kept in perspective considering many rosters were testing players and juggling the offseason schedule.

At the same time, zhe was competing in Ascension CN, making a third straight appearance at the event and unfortunately suffering a third consecutive grand final defeat his club Rare Atom. Joining after Ascension 2024, the Chinese player piled up successes in Tier 2, earning back-to-back titles in China National Competition Seasons 3 and 4, the equivalent of Challengers leagues across the rest of the VALORANT ecosystem. In his final run with the team, zhe and his teammates completely dominated the competition, securing four straight 2-0 victories to reach the decisive match for a coveted VCT CN spot. Against Dragon Ranger Gaming, who were fighting to return to the league, JDG stood no chance and fell 3-0 with only 15 rounds total across three maps. In that series, zhe exclusively played Yoru on Corrode, Sunset and Bind.