Dragon Ranger Gaming emerged triumphant from the final of VCT Ascension CN, surpassing the heavily favored Rare Atom to qualify for China’s tier-one circuit for the next two seasons.
CHINA – Dragon Ranger Gaming have defeated Rare Atom in the VCT Ascension CN grand final 3-1 (Split 13-7, Ascent 14-12, Lotus 0-13, Bind 13-11), securing the sought-after spot to join the VCT CN League for the next two seasons in 2024 and 2025.
With the best-of-five win, DRG completed an incredible upset that saw them beat heavy favorites Rare Atom and Attacking Soul Esports in the last two rounds of the competition.
VCT Ascension CN featured eight top non-partnered teams from the China Evolution Series circuit, with Rare Atom being the undisputed favorites. The purple and black banner previously failed to secure a partnership slot despite their highly stacked roster, which had placed second only to EDward Gaming in the circuit standings. This made them the top choice among bookkeepers as the favorites to qualify for the VCT CN League through the Ascension route.
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As the 2024 season approaches, the future of Rare Atom’s current roster which features some of the most mechanically gifted players from China and Korea remains unknown. There’s ambiguity surrounding whether they will stay together and pursue entry into the partnership league via Ascension next year, as their cohesion as a strong five-player unit, evidenced by their victories over EDward Gaming on multiple occasions, adds to their potential in the upcoming seasons.
On the other side of the table, DRG’s star duo of Chen “TvirusLuke” Ching and Ilya “vo0kashu” Ushakov both had wonderful tournaments, which propelled the team to an unlikely qualification pre-tournament. However, uncertainties loom over the DRG squad due to potential changes in the future, primarily because the VCT CN league permits only one import, and both vo0kashu and Zhi Jun “Zeno” Yu hail from Russia and Singapore, respectively.
Dragon Ranger Gaming now join the team list for the upcoming VCT CN League, which includes eleven of the nation’s top teams competing in the highest echelon of VALORANT next year. This positions them for potential qualification in prestigious events such as Masters in Madrid and Shanghai, along with the culminating event of the year, Champions.
- FunPlus Phoenix
- Bilibili Gaming
- JD Gaming
- Wolves Esports
- EDward Gaming
- TYLOO
- Nova Esports
- Trace Esports
- Titan Esports Club
- All Gamers
- Dragon Ranger Gaming
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Cover photo courtesy of VALORANT Esports CN
