VCT 2026: China Stage 1 ended with the victory of EDward Gaming, who returned to the pedestal of the Chinese region. EDG approached the tournament in the status of favorites, confidently went through the distance and not only won Stage 1, but also secured themselves a slot at VALORANT Masters London 2026, as well as a quota for Esports World Cup 2026.
The stability of XLG Esports
XLG Esports continues to show a consistently high level of play in the region. Before the start of the tournament, they were considered a promising team capable of imposing a fight on the favorites. After the final, it is already possible to speak about a roster of the level of the international scene.
Second place and qualification for Masters London look absolutely deserved. XLG throughout the tournament demonstrated disciplined VALORANT, played well under pressure and showed that they are capable of winning important matches against more status opponents. The Chinese region has long lacked a second stable team for international tournaments, and it seems that XLG are ready to become exactly that.
Dragon Ranger Gaming announced themselves
Third place for Dragon Ranger Gaming may turn out to be more important than it seems at first glance. The team managed to break through to Masters London and earn China Points — a very serious result in a season where every regional performance matters. This is decent progress after their 5th place at Kickoff, and London will become the club’s third international tournament.
The return of the Chinese king
After prolonged failures, Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang was able to show a high level of play in his native region and win together with EDG not only the championship trophy, but also the MVP for his high statistics.
His average indicators for the tournament were at a high level: 252 ACS, ADR over 164 units, and K/D 1.27. No one else can boast of such numbers for Stage 1; besides this, at the event he broke the mark of 3000 kills in VCT, becoming the first in the Chinese region and third in the world. More detailed information about the individual performance of all players of VCT 2026: China Stage 1 you can find in this material of ours.
What this means for the region
China is gradually ceasing to be a one-team region. EDward Gaming still remain the main force and fully deserved this title. But unlike previous seasons, now competition for international events is appearing in the region, which serves as motivation for all teams to set everything better and better; in the end, the whole region wins from this, because there will be more teams that will be able to compete at a good level among the best from all regions.
And this is critically important, because the global VALORANT scene becomes stronger with every season. It is impossible to constantly rely only on one dominator. The region needs competition, constant pressure inside the league and several strong contenders.
Results of VCT 2026: China Stage 1
Twelve teams took part in the tournament, and only three of them received the main prize — slots at Masters London, while first place will also deservedly go to Esports World Cup 2026. There was no monetary reward at the tournament, but the teams during the tournament and in the final tournament table divided China Points among themselves, according to which additional invitations to Champions 2026 will be issued.
Final tournament table of VCT 2026: China Stage 1:
- EDward Gaming — 1st — 10 China Points — Masters London, Esports World Cup
- XLG Esports — 2nd — 9 China Points — Masters London
- Dragon Ranger Gaming — 3rd — 6 China Points — Masters London
- All Gamers — 4th — 5 China Points
- TYLOO — 5th–6th — 3 China Points
- JD Gaming — 5th–6th — 3 China Points
- Titan Esports Club — 7th–8th — 2 China Points
- Trace Esports — 7th–8th — 2 China Points
- Bilibili Gaming — 9th–10th — 2 China Points
- Nova Esports — 9th–10th — 1 China Point
- FunPlus Phoenix — 11th–12th — 2 China Points
- Wolves Esports — 11th–12th — 0 China Points
Stage 1 showed that China is finally beginning to build exactly such an ecosystem. EDward Gaming still remain the team that needs to be beaten. But the main conclusion of the tournament is that now in China more and more teams are appearing that are capable of truly challenging them.
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