JD Gaming Roster Changes 2025: Sword9, EGO, and Viva Depart Ahead of VCT China Kickoff

In a surprising move, JD Gaming has parted ways with in-game leader Li “sword9” Wei, Head Coach Yang “EGO” Haozun, and Ran “Viva” Lifan, according to sources. The roster change comes just a few weeks before the VCT China Kickoff, scheduled to begin on January 11, 2025.

EGO is known for his tenure with Attacking Soul Esports, where he led the team to VCT Masters Tokyo 2023. Both Ego and sword9 were part of All Gamers during the VCT 2024 Season, a partnership that saw moderate success. The duo was signed by JD Gaming during the OFF//SEASON, aiming to bring stability to the roster.

Meanwhile, Viva has been a core player for JDG since the organization acquired Rare Atom’s roster. Notably, he was part of Rare Atom's run to a runner-up finish at VCT China Ascension in 2023. His departure marks the end of an era for one of the region's prominent talents.

This sudden overhaul leaves JD Gaming with little time to restructure before the highly competitive season opener.

JD Gaming’s roster is now:

• 🇭🇰 Yeung “jkuro” Ho-chung

• 🇰🇷 Park “stew” Young-chan

• 🇨🇳 Liu “Z1Yan” Zihan

• 🇨🇳 Xie "hypnotizing" Haozhi (Assistant Coach)