On the evening of August 25, 2024, when the score was fixed at 3-2, Zhang Zhao burst into tears. edg defeated their rival th and won the 2024 Fearless Contract global championship trophy. This is the pinnacle moment in the history of the edg team, and it is also the first time that the cn division has won the global championship.
"It's not easy!" In this glorious moment belonging to Zhang Zhao and his teammates, Zhang Zhao couldn't help himself with excitement. Along with the cheers that echoed for a long time in the sky above South Korea's Inspire Arena, all the hardship and persistence seemed to have found an outlet in tears.
Seed of Dreams
Zhang Zhao, game id: smoggy. This id comes from his love of smoked bacon.
Zhang Zhao was born in Jiangsu in June 2002, as if fate had already planted the seeds of e-sports for him. In a childhood dream, he was standing in a huge professional arena, surrounded by computer screens flashing. Although he could not see clearly which game it was, his yearning for e-sports was deeply rooted in him at that time. heart.
In 2008, when Zhang Zhao came into contact with FPS games for the first time, he showed his amazing talent. Thanks to his enlightened parents, his enthusiasm for gaming was not only unchecked, but encouraged and supported.
In 2020, during the global open beta of "Fearless Contract", Zhang Zhao keenly captured the charm of this new game and quickly devoted himself to it. He recalled: "My friend told me that he thought I had a chance to become a professional player in this game, so he asked me to try it."
Zhang Zhao admitted frankly that compared to other FPS games, "Fearless Contract" is more challenging nature, because its skill mechanism requires players to have higher adaptability.
In January 2021, Zhang Zhao joined the WBG Fearless Contract Division. In the team, he quickly stood out with his outstanding strength, winning three bo3 games in a row in one day. However, just when his competitive form was getting better, fate played a joke on him - he accidentally fell down in the club, resulting in a broken phalanx and unable to continue training. Despite this, the young player, who is less than 20 years old, was not defeated by the setback.
Zhang Zhao said humorously: "After the bones healed, my shooting skills were more accurate than before." Obviously, the injury did not cause any trouble and did not stop him from moving forward at all.
Zhang Zhao bluntly said that he is very "talented", so he must persevere. "This is the oath I made to myself." He believes that he will bloom on the road to professional e-sports.
In September 2021, wbg temporarily loaned Zhang Zhao to the edg team. Although this short-term cooperation failed to bring a championship, the gears of fate began to turn, quietly changing Zhang Zhao's career trajectory.
In 2022, Zhang Zhao returned to wbg and participated in the invitational tournament that year. In the winner's group finals and the finals, he defeated edg twice, not only won the championship, but also won his first FMVP in his career. However, after that, Zhang Zhao and wbg never reached the top together again, and eventually the wbg fearless contract division was sadly disbanded.
The turning point of fate
Zhang Zhao is very confused, and he doesn't know where to go in the future. edg extended an olive branch to him.
"When I first joined edg, I felt a little uncomfortable. I always felt that they were all very strong, but I was still adapting to the new environment." Zhang Zhao said. When he first joined the team, he had to quickly adjust to a new position, which made him feel uncomfortable. But it was also at this time that his teammates and coaching staff gave him great support. In particular, the coach patiently taught him how to improve himself, not only improving his skills technically, but also instilling firm belief in him mentally.
Although there was no seat for Zhang Zhao on the court at that time, off the court, he was still the young man who worked tirelessly.
On July 18, 2022, he wrote on Weibo: "The days when no one applauds are the beginning of your transformation."
This is his motto for himself, and it is also an inspiration to all those who struggle in adversity.
The turning point is coming soon.
On August 14, 2022, edg defeated the strong Korean team ONS in the East Asia LCQ that year and successfully advanced to the global championship. Zhang Zhao was unable to play at the time, but as the sixth man in the entire team, he traveled with the team to Istanbul, Turkey.
Destiny once again favored Zhang Zhao - life missed the opening game due to illness, and Zhang Zhao replaced him.This is his first appearance in a large-scale offline competition, and it is a great opportunity for him to show his strength to the world.
Zhang Zhao’s first performance shocked the audience. He successfully made the world know about the ID smoggy. From the live broadcast platform that no one cares about to the world stage that attracts everyone's attention, from the training ground to the competition field, Zhang Zhao has been waiting for too long.
Although edg unfortunately lost in the group stage, this experience made Zhang Zhao more determined to achieve his goal.
After returning to Shanghai, Zhang Zhao took the initiative to find a coach, hoping to transform into a free agent and take on more responsibilities. He knows that only through this transformation can he make more contributions to the team. Soon after, Zhang Zhao became edg's starting player.
Reaching the top of the world
In July 2023, the national server of "Fearless Contract" was officially launched, igniting a more determined goal for Zhang Zhao. On the eve of the launch of the national server, edg defeated navi and world champion loud at the Tokyo Masters, winning cnwa's first victory in an international event and reaching the top six.
2024 is the first year of the vct cn division. This year's edg has powerfully won all the glory of the cn division - the starting point competition, the first stage, and the annual championship, becoming the undisputed overlord.
In August 2024, edg will compete in the Fearless Contract Global Championship. From the group stage to the knockout rounds to the semi-finals, Zhang Zhao steadily moved towards the top with every outstanding performance. On the day of the
finals, edg met the th team, which had broken out of the group of death, and the competition was so fierce that it was suffocating. In the end, edg won the championship with a score of 3 to 2, while Zhang Zhao reached the top of the world with the highest KDA in the game and the MVP of the decisive map.
On the podium, Zhang Zhao burst into tears. "It's not easy!" This short sentence reflects his years of hardship and persistence.
From the childhood yearning for FPS, to the bumps on the career path, to the bitter experience after the launch of the national server, and the countless doubts and misunderstandings faced online... all of this turned into tears at this moment, flowing silently .
When Zhang Zhao touched the heavy trophy, he finally felt the reality of it all, and the incredible sense of honor and satisfaction came like a tide.
In the background, Zhang Zhao received a WeChat message from his mother. Far away in her hometown, she has been watching every game of her son. "My mother said she cried when she saw me win the championship." Zhang Zhao said, "I want to thank everyone around me who supported me along the way."
When a reporter asked about the significance of this championship, Zhang Zhao Zhao calmly replied: "It is indeed memorable for me to stand at this peak at the age of 22. But as a professional player, this road has not yet been completed."
Now, Zhang Zhao finally stands on the stage he dreamed of as a child. From an ignorant boy to a world champion, he used his actions to prove that his dream is not out of reach. As he said, his own e-sports journey has just begun.
Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Liu Yilong
editor/Ma Xiaoqing
