FunPlus Phoenix welcome coconut & Xlele; part ways with BerLIN & Ben1Ley
BerLIN’s long chapter with FPX ends as coconut and Xlele arrive starting in Stage 2 @ Changsha.
CHINA – FunPlus Phoenix are making two roster changes ahead of VCT CN Stage 2 Regular Season in Changsha, parting ways with longtime player Zhang "BerLIN" Bolin, who has joined JDG Esports, and youngster Shi "Ben1Ley" Benyu, who has signed with Rare Atom.
Joining the team are Colin "coconut" Chung from JDG Esports, who is set to take over the in-game leader role, and Zhao "Xlele" Yanbo from Trace Esports.
The duo will link up with Zhang "AAAAY" Yang, the sole remaining member from FPX’s 2024 roster, duelist Ou "Setrod" Taigeng, and EMEA import Blendi "kovaQ" Kovaci under German head coach Nikola "LEGIJA" Ninić.
BerLIN’s departure marks the end of a long chapter with FunPlus Phoenix. He had been with the organization since early 2022, when he was part of FPX’s academy roster ZHUQUE, while the main FPX team was still based in EMEA and went on to win Masters Copenhagen. As FPX shifted its VALORANT operations to China in 2023, BerLIN and several ZHUQUE players were promoted to the main roster.
That core reached its peak in 2024, finishing runners-up across all three VCT CN stages and qualifying for every international event that year. However, despite consistent domestic results, FPX struggled to make deep runs internationally. As results began to decline through 2025 and the first half of 2026, the roster gradually underwent changes, leaving AAAAY as the only remaining player from the lineup that brought FPX its strongest run in China so far.
FPX’s 2026 campaign has been their toughest yet, with the team finishing 11th-12th in both Kickoff and Stage 1. Those results came after a relatively promising 2025 OFF//SEASON, where they won the CN Evolution Series Epilogue and had a convincing run at the Radiant Invitational Fuzhou.
The additions of coconut and Xlele are expected to help FPX turn things around in the remainder of the season. coconut is best known for his work on initiators and will take over calling duties, while Xlele has primarily been seen on duelists, with occasional appearances on Omen.
FPX will face a packed schedule in Changsha, where they have been drawn into Group Alpha alongside EDward Gaming, JDG Esports, Nova Esports, Trace Esports, and TYLOO. Their five group stage matches are scheduled to take place from July 10-23.
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