For most of the teams at VALORANT Champions, the stakes are fairly simple, you do your best to win and grab the trophy. However, for two VCT China teams, their placement makes a difference. Following the conclusion of the group stage elimination games in Paris, the performance-based promotion and relegation rules for VCT China have come into sharp relief. Xi Lai Gaming (XLG) will retain their VCT China spot for 2026 due to their win over Sentinels, while fellow Ascension team Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG), who were unable to win a single game and were eliminated by G2, will drop into Ascension for a chance to fight their way back.
Rules for Ascension Teams & Retention in VCT China
Starting in 2025, Riot Games changed how Ascension teams (non-partnered teams promoted from the lower tier into International Leagues) are treated in terms of retention and relegation.
Under the new system:
- Ascension teams are given a one-year term in the International League (in this case VCT China) instead of the previous multi-year term.
- To extend their stay by a year, an Ascension team must qualify for Champions (reach the top 2 in their region’s Stage 2 Playoffs/International League or via Championship Points). If both Ascension teams do so, then, of the two, the one with the better performance at Champions retains their VCT spot automatically. The other must compete in Ascension to try to re-earn their slot.
- Alternatively, finishing in the top 8 of the region’s Championship Points leaderboard and/or qualifying for Stage 2 Playoffs grants a team eligibility to defend their spot via Ascension. If an Ascension team fails to meet any of the criteria (making Champions, finishing top 8 in points / Stage 2 Playoffs), they will be fully relegated and cannot re-earn their spot until they qualify through Ascension. Finally, if team doesn’t manage either of these, they drop to Challengers automatically.
In China specifically, both XLG and DRG are Ascension teams. Because both made it to Champions Paris, the rule about “better performance at Champions” became critical. The team that placed lower would see their VCT spot jeopardized, even though both qualified.
VALORANT Champions Paris Results
At VALORANT Champion 2025, DRG and XLG both qualified, the former by virtue of their performance in VCT China Stage 2 and the latter via Championship Points.
In the group stage of Champions Paris, both teams lost their opening matches to T1 and PRX respectively, putting them in the lower bracket with no second chances. Both teams had to face NA teams to continue their Champions journey; DRG vs G2 and XLG vs Sentinels. XLG won their game against Sentinels, but DRG went down to G2, confirming that, no matter how other matches proceed, XLG will have a guaranteed higher placement.
Due to this, XLG have now cemented their spot in VCT China for 2026. DRG, despite also making Champions, will have to return to compete in the Ascension tournament (China’s promotion tournament) in October to try to reclaim their slot.
How XLG and DRG joined VCT China
Xi Lai Gaming (XLG) earned their promotion into VCT China via the Ascension 2024 tournament. XLG dominated in that event, sweeping Rare Atom 3-0 in the Grand Final to secure promotion to the VCT China league. In the 2025 season, they accumulated a substantial amount of Championship Points through their Stage 1 trophy, Stage 2 performance, Masters appearance, and consistent placing — good enough to qualify for Champions as the region’s fourth seed.
Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG) similarly came into VCT China as Ascension winners the year before in 2023; they proved themselves regionally and internationally, making deep runs and earning a Champs berth as second seed having reached the Stage 2 grand finals. However, because they finished Champions in a poorer placing compared to XLG, they cannot retain the same VCT status guarantee. Their earlier elimination makes their situation more precarious under the updated retention rules.
VCT China 2026 Outlook
As things stand, VCT China for the 2026 season includes the following teams:
- Bilibili Gaming
- EDward Gaming
- Xi Lai Gaming (They retain their Ascension slot for another year)
- TYLOO
- All Gamers
- Trace Esports
- FunPlus Phoenix
- Wolves Esports
- Titan Esports Club
- Nova Esports
- JDG Esports
- Ascension China 2025 Winners
Because DRG’s VCT spot is no longer secure, they will fight through the China Ascension tournament in October (November 11-19, 2025 in Shanghai) to re-earn their place. XLG, on the other hand, has their position secured for the upcoming year thanks to all conditions being met. In summary, the new VCT performance-based rules have real impact. The stage is set for a high-stakes Ascension tournament in China, where DRG and other teams will vie for the few remaining spots.
