The first regional qualifiers of 2025 continue, and today, we turn our attention to the Chinese region. The upper bracket semifinals of the playoffs stage at VCT 2025: China Kickoff have just concluded, determining the two teams advancing to the final.

BiliBili Gaming vs. FunPlus Phoenix

The first clash of the day featured a battle between the experienced FunPlus Phoenix and the relatively young BiliBili Gaming squad. Despite their experience advantage, FPP struggled to counter their opponents. After two tense maps, BiliBili Gaming emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline, winning Bind 13-11 and Lotus 13-9.

Trace Esports vs. EDward Gaming

The second match brought a surprising encounter between reigning world champions EDward Gaming and the less renowned Trace Esports. The result was unexpected, as Trace Esports dominated the strongest team of 2024, winning decisively on both maps, Lotus 13-4 and Bind 13-4. The reasons for such a crushing defeat remain unclear, but the world champions have been underperforming since the offseason.

Upper Bracket Final Set

As a result of these matches, BiliBili Gaming and Trace Esports advance to the upper bracket final, scheduled for January 23, where they will compete for the first spot in the grand final. Meanwhile, FunPlus Phoenix and EDward Gaming drop to the lower bracket, awaiting their opponents to fight for a chance to stay in the tournament.

The VCT 2025: China Kickoff is being held from January 11 to 25 as a LAN event at the VCT CN Arena in Shanghai. Twelve partnered teams from the VCT program are competing for two spots at Masters Bangkok and valuable China Points, which are critical for qualifying for the World Championship.