What was Ateez known as before debuting?

Ateez was known as KQ Fellaz before debuting.

The name came from KQ Entertainment, the agency that assembled and trained the eight-member group. In 2018, KQ Fellaz appeared in pre-debut material, including a performance video and the web series KQ Fellaz American Training, which followed the trainees during dance training in Los Angeles.

The group’s official name, Ateez, was revealed in July 2018. It is commonly explained as a contraction of “A TEEnager Z,” expressing the group’s aim to represent teenagers and their interests from A to Z. This means KQ Fellaz was a pre-debut name, not an alternate name used throughout Ateez’s later career.

A common mix-up is Xikers, another KQ Entertainment boy group that debuted later. ATEENZ is simply a misspelling or variation sometimes seen online, while Team A is not the group’s recognized pre-debut name. Ateez made its official debut with Treasure EP.1: All to Zero on October 24, 2018.