Sources: Persia set to join REJECT ahead of VCL Japan Split 2

Without a team since the start of the year, Yang "Persia" Zi-on is now expected to return to competition by signing with the Japanese organization REJECT, replacing “Sota” and “XoNs”. Previously on loan from DRX Academy, the latter had returned to the Korean club’s secondary roster after playing Split 1 of Challengers Japan with REJECT.

After winning Ascension Pacific 2024 with Sin Prisa Gaming, Persia entered the VALORANT Champions Tour in 2025 with Nongshim RedForce, following the organization’s acquisition of the full promotion-winning roster. Alongside his teammates, the Controller spent the year in the middle of the standings, starting with a Top 5-6 finish at Kickoff. Slightly below expectations in Stage 1, NS placed in the Top 7-8 and once again fell short of a Top 4 finish in Stage 2. Persia was eventually benched at the end of the year and had not secured a new project until this recent move to REJECT.

The Japanese organization, which began its season in VCL Japan Split 1, does not appear to have been convinced by its opening segment. After losing their first match of the year to Crest Gaming Zst, REJECT failed to reach the playoffs, finishing with four losses and three wins, well below expectations.

In this context, XoNs featured in three matches before being released from his loan and replaced by the Japanese player Sota. The South Korean player had been used mainly on Duelists, while Sota was primarily fielded on Initiators. Persia, on the other hand, mostly played Controllers during his year in VCT Pacific. REJECT, therefore, still seems to be searching for the right formula, now trying a third, different profile for its fifth player. Unlike his predecessors, Persia brings significantly more experience, which may be what the Japanese team needs more than a specific role.