NOVA shirazi: “Everyone in CN is so sharp.”

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Shirazi from Nova Esports GC discussed her transition from the APAC region to China, as well as her historic performance at the 2025 Game Changers Championship.

Kelly Jaudian, known as “shirazi” and playing for NOVA Esports GC, shared her thoughts on competing in the Chinese (CN) region after her time in the Pacific. NOVA Esports GC made a historic upset in their first match at the 2025 VALORANT Game Changers Championship, defeating Ninetails, the second-seeded team from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

shirazi: “Their aim is so clean.”

Shirazi joined a Chinese organization earlier this year, having previously played for Xipto GC. She’s no stranger to international competition, finishing fourth in two previous GCC events – once with Team SMG in 2023 and again with Xipto in 2024. Shirazi and Nova recently dominated China Stage 2, winning four consecutive series and earning their spot as the region’s sole representatives at GCC 2025.

Shirazi explained that the biggest challenge of her transfer was the language barrier. ‘I don’t speak Chinese,’ she said, ‘and moving to China was a huge change for me.’

She explained that players in the Chinese region play similarly to those in the Asia-Pacific region, but are generally more disciplined and have remarkably precise aim. She observed that they prioritize accuracy and prefer a more deliberate, methodical playstyle.

NOVA makes GCC history against NTZ

NOVA went up against Pacific GC’s second seed, Ninetails.

NOVA played a strong game on Map 1. Despite NTZ choosing Bind, NOVA dominated and prevented their South Korean opponents from gaining an advantage. The first half was competitive, ending 7-5 in NOVA’s favor, but the Chinese team decisively won the second half, finishing the map 13-6. Wang “Clem” Ke-ching was a key player in NOVA’s success. This victory is also the first map win for a Chinese team at any GCC event.

NTZ started strong on the second map, winning the first five rounds. However, Nova quickly caught up and erased that lead by halftime. Thanks to key plays and strong performances from shirazi and the rest of the Nova team, they defeated Ninetails in front of their home Korean crowd, making history. This victory marked the first time a Chinese team had won a series at the Game Changers Championship.

Following the victory, Shirazi shared her excitement about the historic win and being a member of Nova GC. She said she was thrilled with the team and grateful for the opportunity they gave her to compete again, especially since she hadn’t anticipated being signed by a Chinese team as an import. She also expressed her satisfaction with the team’s overall result.

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2025-11-20 13:41