This VALORANT prodigy perfected the Operator like no other at VCT Masters Tokyo

The Operator, the priciest feature of VALORANT’s diverse weaponry, is a force to be reckoned with, but only an expert can tap into the sniper’s fullest potency. While multiple athletes in VCT’s history have proven their laudable expertise with the gun, Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang’s astonishing Operator plays at VCT Masters Tokyo have simply redefined the role. 

With a whopping 103 Operator kills, according to RIB.gg, EDward Gaming’s Zmjjkk is rightfully the showstopper for precise gunplay at Masters Tokyo. With the one-shot weapon in his hand, the Chinese wunderkind becomes an unstoppable force, mowing down opponents like it’s child’s play. 

Unsurprisingly, Zmjjkk dominates the leaderboard for the number of Operator kills at VCT Masters Tokyo. NRG Esports’ Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks comes in second with 25 Operator kills in the tournament so far: That’s less than one-fourth of what Zmjjkk managed to score with the weapon. 

Even Evil Geniuses’ star player Max “Demon1” Mazanov, a popular name at Masters Tokyo known for impeccable mechanics, is stuck at just 15 Operator kills so far and is third on the leaderboard. 

Unfortunately, EDG’s Cinderella run in Masters Tokyo was cut short by Paper Rex, who defeated the Chinese roster in June 20’s lower-bracket quarterfinals series. With this loss, EDG have now been eliminated from the tournament, with Paper Rex progressing onto the lower-bracket semifinals against NRG Esports while holding on to their only chance.

While Zmjjkk’s bucket of Operator kills will not receive any further entries for Masters Tokyo, none of his peers are close enough and so are unlikely to surpass the 19-year-old’s unconventional feat in the tournament’s remainder. 

While he did pick up the occasional automatic rifle when EDG’s economy was strained, his raw talent came to life only when he wielded the Operator—or the econ-friendly Marshal in some cases. 

Related: Strange strategy leads to EDG fumbling a comeback against T1 at VCT Masters Tokyo

Besides his sky-high Operator kills count, Zmjjkk’s dominating performance has gotten him the second-highest individual Average Combat Score (ACS) at 272.64, sitting right after PRX Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie’s 285.01 and two Aces. He also has the highest number of multi-kills (89) in the tournament so far—another achievement that’s likely to remain exclusive to him.   

Needless to say, Zmjjkk’s prowess with the Operator has majorly fueled his team’s staggering Masters Tokyo career, which also included defeating the champions of VCT 2022, LOUD, sending them home on June 19. Even Pacific’s T1 and EMEA’s Natus Vincere failed to counter his unpredictable, disrespectful aggression with a non-automatic weapon.

Related: This epic Breach ult fail at VCT Masters Tokyo shows why VALORANT’s gunplay is key

That being said, EDG’s Smoggy, Haodong, nobody, and CHICHOO made excellent contributions to the team’s memorable Masters run as well, paving the way for Zmjjkk to frag fearlessly with beautiful utility usage. 

It’s a shame that EDG’s run at Masters Tokyo had to end in the lower bracket, but their stellar performance, including Zmjjkk’s supremacy, has definitely left a strong message for all VCT participants.