Koji “Laz” Ushida won the esports category at NYLON’s NEXT 2023 as the brain behind ZETA DIVISION’s successful year.
JAPAN – Koji “Laz” Ushida of ZETA DIVISION is featured in NYLON’s NEXT 2023, an annual popular special issue in which fashion magazine NYLON JAPAN acknowledges up-and-coming Japanese celebrities poised for success this year. Several prominent names have made it to the list, including Anna Yamada, Toshihisa Hagiwara, Ken Otsuka, Toua, and Party-chan.
The magazine will feature SEVENTEEN’s JUN, WONWOO, and MINGYU on the front cover of its special “NYLON’s NEXT 2023” edition in March. With 28 pages, the issue spotlights a variety of artists, including featured interviews with SEVENTEEN, Anna Yamada, and other NYLON’s NEXT 2023 winners.
ALSO READ: VALORANT reveals new VCT LOCK//IN Capsule collection
Laz’s award comes off the back of ZETA DIVISION’s cinderella run at last year’s Masters Reykjavík, breaking the record as the highest finish by an Asian team in an international VALORANT tournament at the time after taking down the likes of Fnatic, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team Liquid, DRX, and Paper Rex for a third-place finish.
His legacy extends beyond ZETA DIVISION, as he was a member of the Absolute roster in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with whom he dominated the domestic Japanese scene for more than five years. He transitioned with the team to VALORANT as early as April 2020, where he continues to be on top to this day with Absolute JUPITER which was later rebranded as ZETA DIVISION.
The magazine hit newsstands last week for JP￥1,000 (~US$7,77), and more information can be found on NYLON Japan’s website.
- Amazon (Available in Kindle)
- タワーレコードオンライン
- HMV&BOOKS Online
- 7Net Shopping
For more insights on the Asian VALORANT scene and upcoming content like this, be sure to like and follow VALO2ASIA on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Cover photo courtesy of NYLON Japan
