Wolves Esports and Xi Lai Gaming have qualified for VCT Masters Toronto, but which one of EDward Gaming and Bilibili Gaming will join them?
CHINA – From the heart of Shanghai, Wolves Esports and Xi Lai Gaming (XLG) have already punched their tickets to the first international Masters event of the year: VCT Masters Toronto. But Stage 1 isn’t over just yet. The story continues this weekend (May 2-4), as the remaining top four teams head into Beijing for the 2025 VCT CN Stage 1 championship title.
VCT CN is hitting the road once more following the success of the Changsha roadshow in 2024. The final weekend takes place in China’s capital city, roughly a two-hour flight from the usual Shanghai arena. Matches will unfold at JDG’s home venue, the JDG Esports Center, although ironically, JD Gaming themselves were eliminated early, finishing in a 9th-10th place.
The VCT CN Stage 1 Finals kick off on Friday, May 2, starting with the upper final between Wolves Esports and Xi Lai Gaming, followed by the Toronto qualification match featuring EDward Gaming and Bilibili Gaming. Saturday will host the best-of-five lower final, setting the stage for the grand finals on Sunday.
ALSO READ: Gen.G and RRQ qualify for VCT Masters Toronto as Pacific representatives
Few would’ve predicted Wolves Esports to make it this far, and even fewer would have imagined they would qualify for VCT Masters Toronto in this fashion. From crashing out dead last at Kickoff to standing tall among China’s best, their turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. The quality of their players has never been in doubt, but this Stage, everything finally clicked into place.
Fayde: “When I first put this team together, my goal during the OFF//SEASON was to build a roster that could win. Looking at our performance so far, I wouldn’t say our results have been particularly bad. Although our performance in Kickoff wasn’t ideal, we’ve done well in other tournaments we’ve competed in. So I hope everyone still has high expectations for us. This is the standard I’ve set for myself. I’m aiming for a top-four finish. In both Stage 1 and Stage 2, my goal has always been to break into the top four. That’s the level of expectation I have for my players, and I truly believe they can achieve it.”
Now, standing in their way is the team they’re itching to get revenge on: Xi Lai Gaming. There’s been a growing narrative around how strong Ascension teams are, from G2 and BOOM to Dragon Ranger Gaming making it to VCT Masters Shanghai last year. XLG are part of that wave — a team you’ll definitely want to keep your eyes on.
Arthur “Rarga” Churyumov has been a rock for the team and is arguably one of the region’s best duelist, while the rest of the squad has looked more comfortable than ever in their roles in recent matches.
The upcoming best-of-three will decide who gets to experience their first-ever regional grand final.
And just a footnote about XLG — they have been invited to participate in the 2025 HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League in Shanghai before heading to Toronto. This means one of two things: either they will get some valuable practice against top teams from China and the Pacific, coming out more prepared than ever for Toronto, or they could end up with less practice and more exposure to their opponents’ strategies.
At the very least, Wolves Esports and XLG have already cleared the most crucial hurdle of qualifying for VCT Masters Toronto. But with only one slot left, it’s all or nothing now for EDward Gaming and Bilibili Gaming. They’ll need to throw everything they’ve got at it, every strat in the book.
In the lower-bracket semi-final, we’re getting a matchup that, without any context, most would mistake for an upper final. But no — it’s a bloodbath do-or-die clash, with the loser packing their bags. It’s still crazy to think that just months ago, these were the top four teams at Kickoff CN — and now they’re all fighting to stay alive.
EDward Gaming, the 2024 World Champions, are no longer the untouchable giants they once were. A big part of that comes down to roster instability, especially after the swap between Zhang “Jieni7” Juntai and Xie “S1Mon” Mengxun — with S1Mon now not even showing up in EDG’s walkout displays.
It seems like a big ask for a 19-year-old with no tier-one experience to jump straight into the team and perform under the pressure from all sides. The current EDG situation is a tough one to step into as your first tier-one team, especially since he’s replacing one of the best utility players in the world—the guy who helped lead the Chinese team to a world championship. On the flip side, this move could give EDward Gaming more flexibility and more firepower compared to S1Mon.
The gap is closing fast. CN teams are leveling up to match the rest of the world, and EDG’s dominance doesn’t look as ironclad as before. Could this finally be the season their reign ends? To keep their dynasty alive in China, they’ll need to win two straight series — first against Bilibili Gaming, then against either Wolves Esports or Xi Lai Gaming.
9-0. That’s how many times EDG have beaten BLG since their first meeting in 2023. If there’s ever a time they want to change that record, it’s now. A win would not only break the streak but also make history — stopping EDG from securing another CN league title and preventing them from qualifying for their first international VALORANT event since China first gained access to the global stage at VALORANT Champions Istanbul 2022.
It’s tough to pick out the weakest link among the four remaining teams. Despite being in the lower bracket, we can’t forget that Bilibili Gaming were the top seed in Group Omega — a group that also included XLG and Wolves Esports. BLG have taken down both of them in the VCT CN Stage 1 Regular Season, even though they were knocked down to the lower bracket by the very same Wolves later on.
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Cover photo courtesy of VCT CN
