Ascension CN 2024 winners Xi Lai Gaming emerge victorious at the 2025 VCT CN Stage 1 over Bilibili Gaming to become the new Kings of China.
CHINA – The 2025 VCT CN League Stage 1 wrapped up on May 4 at the JDG Esports Center in Beijing. After nearly two months of intense battles between twelve top teams, XLG (Xi Lai Gaming) claimed the VCT CN Stage 1 championship with a 3-1 win over Bilibili Gaming in the grand finals — marking the first time a VCT China title has been won by a team other than EDward Gaming.
With this win, XLG, Bilibili Gaming, and Wolves Esports will represent China as the #1 to #3 seeds at the upcoming VALORANT Masters Toronto in June.
Eight teams—BLG, NOVA, XLG, TE, WOL, EDG, TEC, and DRG—advanced to the playoffs following the regular season. The first phase, held from April 17-20 at the VCT CN Arena in Shanghai, saw WOL, XLG, BLG, and EDG progress to the final stage in Beijing. XLG and WOL booked early tickets to Masters Toronto after winning their upper bracket Round 2 matches.
The playoff finale then took place from May 2-4 at the JD Esports Center in Beijing, where the top four teams battled it out for the title. On the first day of the Beijing portion of the event, XLG went up against Wolves Esports for the third time on stage, with the Ascension champions making a strong statement to become the first Ascension team to ever reach the grand finals in VCT CN history.
Later that day, BLG and EDG met for the tenth time in the lower bracket semifinal. After nine straight losses, BLG finally broke their losing streak with a 2-1 win over their longtime rivals and the so-called Kings of China. The win not only punched their ticket to Masters Toronto, but also marked a milestone as BLG qualified for their first-ever VALORANT Masters event, having previously only made appearances at 16-team VALORANT Champions tournaments on the international stage.
On May 3, BLG and WOL met for the third time this stage in a high-stakes best-of-five lower bracket final. Riding the momentum from their emotional win over EDG, BLG came in with confidence and swept WOL 3-0 in a decisive performance to punch their ticket to the grand finals.
The grand final took place on May 4, where XLG and BLG squared off in a thrilling best-of-five series. Map 1 kicked off on Fracture, with BLG gaining an early 5-0 lead. However, XLG’s resilience showed as they fought back to force overtime, winning 15-13 and taking the first map. On Lotus, XLG maintained their momentum, securing a 13-10 win despite a late push from BLG. With a 2-0 lead in the series, XLG was on the brink of victory.
With their backs against the wall, BLG came alive on Pearl. After trailing 0-5, they rallied to even the score 6-6 by halftime and pulled ahead to claim a 13-8 victory, keeping their hopes alive. Map 4 on Haven was a thriller, with BLG taking the early edge before XLG answered back to lead 7-6 at the half. The two teams battled it out round after round, but XLG held strong in overtime, clinching the map 14-12 to win the series 3-1.
With the win, XLG were crowned champions of the 2025 VCT CN Stage 1. Rarga’s standout play throughout the series earned him the Finals MVP title.
XLG, Bilibili Gaming, and Wolves Esports will now fly the flag for VCT CN at the 2025 VALORANT Masters Toronto, where they’ll take on the world’s top teams. So far, Sentinels, MIBR, and G2 Esports have locked in their spots from the Americas, while Gen.G and RRQ will represent the Pacific, with the final Pacific slot to be decided later this week between DRX and Paper Rex. Over in EMEA, the region’s first two representatives are set to be confirmed this weekend.
The Beijing event drew massive fan support throughout China, with tickets for the Beijing stage selling out in just 16 seconds after going live on April 11. The hype extended far beyond the capital, as cinema viewing parties were held in 17 cities across China.
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Cover photo courtesy of VCT CN
