XLG Esports and Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG) have secured the final two VCT China slots for VALORANT Champions in Paris this September.
Both teams have qualified through VCT China’s points standings after the region’s fifth contestant for Champions, All Gamers, was eliminated by XLG today.
XLG Esports has been competing in VCT China after winning last year’s Ascension tournament. While the Chinese team had a rocky start during VCT Kickoff, the rookie squad made waves in the regional VALORANT scene by winning the Stage 1 event and qualifying for Masters Toronto in June.
However, XLG unexpectedly separated from its initiator, Yip ‘YoU’ Man-ho, and was forced to attend Toronto with stand-in Zhang ‘Midi’ Jiajun. The sudden roster change led to the underdog’s early elimination from the tournament.
For Stage 2, XLG then signed James ‘NoMan’ Man to make Playoffs with a 4-1 total match score. Despite being sent to the lower bracket early by DRG (1-2), XLG has bounced back in today’s match against All Gamers (2-0).
With 13 VCT China Points, the team has now secured a second shot at winning an international trophy.
Dragon Ranger Gaming’s Unexpected Road to Champions
XLG’s victory over All Gamers also benefits fellow Chinese team DRG, which currently ranks fourth on the regional VCT Points leaderboard. Although the 2023 Ascension winner underperformed during the earlier phases of this VCT season, its impressive Stage 2 Playoffs run gave DRG a fighting chance in the race to Champions.
So far, DRG has defeated 2024 Champions winner EDward Gaming (2-0) and XLG to reach the Upper Bracket Final.
Meanwhile, All Gamers was the only VCT China team in Playoffs who could only qualify for Champions with a first- or second-place finish in Stage 2. Its elimination today means that XLG and DRG join EDward Gaming and Bilibili Gaming as the region’s representatives in Paris.
However, the seeding for Champions is yet to be determined based on the final Stage 2 results.
Moreover, as both Chinese Ascension teams have qualified for Champs, XLG and DRG still have to compete for their right to remain in tier-one for another year. The team with fewer VCT Points will return to Ascension this year to defend its VCT slot against the top Challengers in China.
VALORANT Champions 2025 Paris is set to commence on September 12th to October 10th.
