VCT CN Stage 2 Play-Ins and Playoffs @ Chengdu viewer’s guide
VCT CN heads to Chengdu for three weeks of Play-Ins, Playoffs, and the final race to Champions Shanghai.
CHINA – Following the conclusion of the Group Stage in Changsha, VCT CN Stage 2 now heads to Chengdu for the Play-Ins and Playoffs from August 5-23.
The Play-Ins will feature ten teams: the bottom eight teams from the VCT CN Group Stage and two Challengers representatives from the VALORANT China National Tournament (VCNT).
The Chengdu Chengbei Gymnasium will host the Play-Ins and the opening three days of the Playoffs from August 5 to 16. The tournament will then move to the Chengdu Financial City Performing Arts Center for its final five days from August 19 to 23.
The larger venue previously hosted IEM Chengdu in 2024 and 2025 for Counter-Strike, as well as the 2024 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational.
Play-Ins Format
The eight VCT CN teams and two Challengers representatives will compete in a double-elimination bracket for the final four places in the Playoffs.
KeepBest Gaming enter the event as winners of the VALORANT China National Tournament, with A Team qualifying as runners-up.
KBG’s roster includes former Dragon Ranger Gaming player Zhang “Akeman” Haoran alongside four players making their first appearance at this level.
A Team, meanwhile, feature several familiar names, including former All Gamers player Wang “monk” Haoyu, former TYLOO player Yang “Eren” Cengwei and former Dragon Ranger Gaming player Wei “Dingwei” Ting-wei.
The team also have two imports from Team Flash: Vietnamese player Hoàng “Layla” Đức Hùng and Korean coach Yoon “Malix” Kyung-ho.
Their qualification came at the expense of a star-studded Any Questions Gaming roster featuring 2024 world champion Xie “S1Mon” Mengxun and former Wolves Esports and BLEED player Tyler “juicy” Aeria, who fell short in both of their qualification attempts.
AQ founder and popular streamer EQ118 claimed during one of his streams that his team were better than around six VCT CN teams. While that claim has not been proven, KBG and A Team finishing ahead of AQ suggests that both Challengers teams could be a real threat in Chengdu.
KBG will face Titan Esports Club in the opening round, while A Team will take on Trace Esports.
The four qualifying teams from Play-Ins will join the Group Stage’s top four teams:
- Nova Esports (#1 Group Alpha)
- Bilibili Gaming (#1 Group Omega)
- TYLOO (#2 Group Alpha)
- Xi Lai Gaming (#2 Group Omega)
Playoffs Format
The eight remaining teams, consisting of four direct qualifiers and four teams from the Play-Ins, will compete in another double-elimination bracket.
Only the final six teams will advance to the Chengdu Financial City Performing Arts Center when the event moves to the larger venue on August 19.
Due to their higher Group Stage seeding, EDward Gaming, All Gamers, FunPlus Phoenix, JDG Esports, Dragon Rangers Gaming, and Wolves Esports will begin in the upper-bracket quarterfinals. Trace Esports and Titan Esports Club will start one round earlier alongside KBG and AT.
All matches will be played as best-of-three series, except for the lower-bracket final and grand final, which will both be best-of-five.
Across the Play-Ins and Playoffs, all 14 teams will be competing to become the 2026 VCT CN Stage 2 champions. EDward Gaming won the title in 2024, while Bilibili Gaming lifted the trophy in 2025.
The champion and runner-up will also secure qualification for VALORANT Champions Shanghai, joining two additional Chinese teams that qualify through Championship Points. At the time of writing, EDward Gaming are the only Chinese team to have confirmed their place at Champions Shanghai. Paper Rex have also qualified from VCT Pacific.
The Championship Points standings below have been updated following the conclusion of the Group Stage. Teams must now finish in the top four to earn additional points, with fourth place receiving four points and third place receiving five. The top two teams will qualify directly for Champions Shanghai, regardless of their points total.
Beyond the competition, fan festivals and VALORANT-themed activities will take place across Chengdu to celebrate the game’s arrival in the city. These include an immersive themed park at Chengdu Eastern Suburb Memory Park. More information about activities taking place across the city can be found on the official VALORANT China account.
Matches will be broadcast through the official VCT CN channels in Mandarin, including YouTube and Twitch for international viewers and China’s domestic platforms such as Douyin, Bilibili, Weibo, and more.
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