EDG signs stew ahead of VALORANT Champions 2026

EDward Gaming has announced the signing of Korean player Park "stew" Young-chan, who previously played for JD Gaming. The 21-year-old joins the team ahead of VALORANT Champions 2026, replacing Zhang "Jieni7" Juntai.

He becomes the first Korean player on the roster, although the team has had an entirely Korean coaching staff since the end of 2025.

stew joins EDG

Stew was a surprise addition to Rare Atom, helping the team finish second at the VCT Ascension China 2023. He then moved to JD Gaming, where he spent two years. However, the team failed to secure any regional trophies or international qualifications. In June, Stew officially parted ways with the team by mutual agreement.

On August 21, EDward Gaming announced that stew would join the roster, just a few weeks before the start of the biggest international competition of the year, VALORANT Champions 2026, which will be held in Shanghai, China. The Chinese team has already secured its spot in the tournament thanks to the points accumulated throughout the season.

Interestingly, JD Gaming managed one of the most impressive runs in the VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - China Stage 2. After going 1-5 in the Group Stage and suffering a 13-0 loss to FunPlus Phoenix on the first map of the Play-Ins stage, JDG went on to secure qualification for their first-ever international event through the Upper Bracket.

EDG Champions 2026 jersey

In the same announcement video, EDG also revealed its official jersey for VALORANT Champions 2026, featuring a gold-and-white palette. There is still no information regarding the global sale of the jersey for fans who want to purchase it but won't be able to attend the event in person.

The team will look to claim its second Champions title on home soil, following their victory at VCT 2024 - Champions 2024. So far, no team has managed to win the Champions title twice.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image by EDward Gaming