VCT 2025: China Stage 1 - Tournament Preview & Guide

By Tit Krajnik

12 Mar 2025

Tit Krajnik 12 Mar 2025

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VCT 2025: China Stage 1 begins on Thursday, March 13, 2025
10 Chinese VALROANT teams
The top three teams qualify for VALORANT Masters Toronto 2025

VCT 2025: China Stage 1

The Chinese VALORANT 2025 esports season continues on March 13, with VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2025: China Stage 1, succeeding VCT 2025: China Kickoff and preceding the second Masters event of the year.

When Does VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Start?
VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Format
Group Stage (March 13 – April 13)
Playoffs (April 17 – May 4)
VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Teams
VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Prize Pool
VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Betting Odds
Where To Bet on VCT 2025: China Stage 1?

The regional league will feature 12 VALORANT esports teams battling it over two months for three tickets to Masters Toronto and VCT points. With 42 fixtures scheduled between March and May, VCT 2025 China Stage 1 promises to offer plenty of betting opportunities to explore the best esports betting sites.

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When Does VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Start?

VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2025: China Stage 1 is set to begin on Thursday, March 13, with the first round of the group stage.

The league will run for just under two months and culminate with the grand finals on Sunday, May 4.

VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Format

VCT 2025: China Stage 1 will use the same format as the other three regional leagues, dividing the stage into a group stage and the playoffs.

All 12 VALORANT teams will start in the group stage, which will consist of two single round-robin groups with six teams each. Group stage matches are best-of-three, and the top four teams advance to the playoffs.

The group stage winners receive a direct bye to the upper bracket semifinals, 2nd and 3rd-placed teams will advance to upper bracket round 1, while the fourth-placed teams from each group will proceed to lower bracket round 1.

The playoffs will begin in April, with a double-elimination bracket and eight teams in attendance. The squads will be seeded into the bracket based on their placement in the group stage.

All matches, except for the lower bracket finals and the grand final, are best-of-three. The LB finals and grand finals are best-of-five.

Group Stage (March 13 – April 13)

16 VALORANT esports teams
Two single round-robin groups
All matches are best-of-three (BO3)
Group stage winners receive a direct bye to upper-bracket semifinals
2nd and 3rd-placed teams advance to upper-bracket Round 1
4th-placed teams advance to lower-bracket round 1
The bottom two teams get eliminated

Playoffs (April 17 – May 4)

Eight VALORANT teams
Double-elimination bracket
All matches, except for LB finals and grand finals, are best-of-three (BO3)
The lower bracket final and grand final are best-of-five (BO5)
The top three teams qualify for VALORANT Masters Toronto

VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Teams

VCT 2025: China Stage 1 will feature 12 VALORANT esports teams, including all 10 partnered teams and the Ascension 2023 and 2024 champions – Dragon Ranger Gaming and XLG Esports.

EDward Gaming
Trace Esports
Bilibili Gaming
Dragon Ranger Gaming
FunPlus Phoenix
XLG Esports
Nova Esports
JD Gaming
Wolves Esports
TYLOO
Titan Esports Club
All Gamers

VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Prize Pool

The first stage of the VCT Chinese regional league will not have any prize pool and will instead serve as a qualifying event for the season’s second Masters event – VALORANT Masters Toronto 2025. The top three teams will qualify for the Masters.

On top of competing for the VALORANT Masters Toronto invites, the teams will also be awarded VCT Points – used to qualify for the season’s culminating VALORANT Champions 2025.

Champions – Masters Toronto invite + 5 VCT Points
Runners-up – Masters Toronto invite + 3 VCT Points
3rd-place – Masters Toronto invite + 2 VCT Points
4th-place – 1 VCT Point
5th-12th-place – /

VCT 2025: China Stage 1 Betting Odds

The VCT 2025: China Stage 1 is expected to be a top-heavy league, with EDward Gaming billed as a firm favourite to win the league.

Team	Odds
EDward Gaming	1.50
Trace Esports	11.00
Bilibili Gaming	11.00
Wolves Esports	14.00
NOVA Esports	14.00
FunPlus Phoenix	17.00
Dragon Ranger Gaming	21.00
XLG Esports	21.00
JD Gaming	41.00
TYLOO	51.00
Titan Esports Club	67.00
All Gamers	101.00

The VALORANT Masters Bangkok 2025 bronze medallists and the reigning VCT China champions are priced as 1.50 favourites to win VCT 2025: China Stage 1 and are the only outfit at single digits, ahead of Trace Esports (11.00) and Bilibili Gaming (11.00).

Wolves Esports sit in fourth place, tied with NOVA Esports as 14.00 outsiders, with FunPlus Phoenix close behind at 17.00.

Dragon Ranger Gaming, the fourth-place finisher in the VCT 2025: China Kickoff, are tied with XLG Esports as the 21.00 outsider to win VCT 2025: China Stage 1.

JD Gaming (41.00), TYLOO (51.00), Titan Esports Club (67.00), and All Gamers (101.00) are complete outsiders to win VCT 2025: China Stage 1

Where To Bet on VCT 2025: China Stage 1?

Esports bettors will not have a hard time finding a betting site to place their VCT 2025: China Stage 1 bets, as it is well-covered by all online betting sites and crypto bookmakers.

One of the top choices for betting on VCT 2025: China Stage 1 for crypto bettors is Stake, a reliable crypto betting and gambling site which offers competitive betting odds and great market coverage.

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