The VCT China 2024 Stage 1 regular season is over, with six teams facing each other for three regional slots at the home ground Masters Shanghai. Regional favorites EDward Gaming EDward Gaming China Rank #1 S1Mon Hsien Meng-Hsun (谢孟勋) ZmjjKK Zheng Yongkang (郑永康) nobody Wang Senxu (王森旭) CHICHOO Wan Shunzhi (万顺治) Smoggy Zhang Zhao (张钊) and FunPlus Phoenix FunPlus Phoenix China Rank #5 Autumn Kale Dunne Life Qu Donghao (瞿东豪) AAAAY Zhang Yang (张杨) BerLIN Zhang Bolin (張柏霖) yosemite Wang Lei (王磊) remain at the top, while Trace Esports Trace Esports China Rank #4 LuoK1ng Zhang Zhanpeng (张展鹏) Kai Lu Zhinan (卢智楠) FengF Song Xuefeng (宋学锋) heybay Ho Shun Hei Biank Zhong Jianfei (钟剑飞) , Dragon Ranger Gaming Dragon Ranger Gaming China Rank #13 Flex1n Lo Rui (罗瑞) nizhaoTZH Tang Zehao (唐哲昊) vo0kashu Ilya Ushakov Shion7 Zhang Haozhe (张昊泽) Cangshu Zheng Yujun (手郑宇峻) Nicc Shao Yi-qun (邵逸群) TvirusLuke Chen Cheng-ching SpiritZ1 Lin Dingyu (林定宇) , All Gamers All Gamers China Rank #15 player Kevin Yang (杨凯文) bunt Jiang He (姜河) monk Wang Haoyu (王浩宇) deLb Delbert Tanoto Spitfires Xin Mingyan (辛明阳) K1ra Huang Zhihao (黄志豪) X3B Zhang Chongtian (张丛天) , and Nova Esports Nova Esports China Rank #7 o0o0o Ye Xiaodong (叶晓东) OBONE Chen Yijie (陈怡洁) SWERL Ali Kobraee CB Wang Qingchuan (王庆川) Ezeir Zhao Zejun (赵泽骏) GuanG Guang Honglin (光洪霖) are all fighting for their chance to represent their country on an international stage.

Notably, FunPlus Phoenix are an undefeated 5-0 after beating EDG 2-1 in the regular season. That was EDG's only loss, finishing the regular season at 4-1. The region was top-heavy in Stage 1, as the top two teams finished with a +50 round differential or better. Three different teams qualified for playoffs with a negative round differential.

Three teams qualified with three wins, with Nova Esports as the only playoff team with a losing 2-4 record.

The best match of VCT China 2024 Stage 1

Due to the parity of Stage 1, the best match was between EDward Gaming and FunPlus Phoenix in week four. Each team dominated a map, showing off how these teams seem to be in a different tier in comparison to the rest of the region. It began with a 13-4 on Breeze for EDG, a close 13-11 win for FPX on Bind, and a 13-4 for FPX on Ascent to close it out.

Qu "Life" Donghao (瞿东豪) had one of his best VCT games so far, dropping 58 kills across the series. Not only that, but he had 48 of those kills in the final two maps. While his teammate Kale "Autumn" Dunne played Yoru on Breeze, Life played Yoru on Ascent and completely shut down EDG. He ended that map with 339 ACS, the highest across all players in the series.

This series also proved a key weakness for EDG: predictability. Despite the potential of the roster, EDG ran the default Ascent composition with Jett, KAY/O, Killjoy, and Omen. FPX countered everything EDG threw at them with Viper, Yoru, and Fade to disrupt any planned executes.

FPX has always been creative with their ideas, but this win over EDG proved that it was more than just a gimmick if they could execute it right. Now both of these teams will have to take their momentum and get to Shanghai though the playoffs.

Stars of VCT China 2024 Stage 1

For standout players in the region, there will always be one duelist that stands out in China. Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang (郑永康), better known as KangKang, remains a top duelist in the world. His ability to play both Jett and Raze at a high level while flexing over to the KAY/O when needed is crucial to their map pool. His stats in China were absurd, with an average of 285.9 ACS, a 1.42 K:D ratio, and one kill per round. EDG rightly design their composition to play around KangKang, a strategy that has netted them regional success.

At the same time, two players from FPX deserve their respect after helping the team go undefeated and topple EDG. First off, Life has proven himself one of the few duelists who can fight KangKang blow for blow, second in ACS at 259.3 and a 1.30 K:D.

Another sneaky improvement that was key to FPX was Liang "Lysoar" Youhao (梁优好). His ACS might not be as high as the two duelists higher on this list, but his K:D of 1.54 led the region. As a controller for FPX, he also finished fourth in KPR at 0.84. Statistically, he was the best regional controller main in Stage 1, able to stay alive longest and get plenty of impactful kills across their matches.

VCT China 2024 Stage 1 regular season results

The top three teams from both groups qualified to the Stage 1 playoffs.

Group Alpha

  1. EDward Gaming EDward Gaming China Rank #1 S1Mon Hsien Meng-Hsun (谢孟勋) ZmjjKK Zheng Yongkang (郑永康) nobody Wang Senxu (王森旭) CHICHOO Wan Shunzhi (万顺治) Smoggy Zhang Zhao (张钊) (5-1, +50)
  2. Dragon Ranger Gaming Dragon Ranger Gaming China Rank #13 Flex1n Lo Rui (罗瑞) nizhaoTZH Tang Zehao (唐哲昊) vo0kashu Ilya Ushakov Shion7 Zhang Haozhe (张昊泽) Cangshu Zheng Yujun (手郑宇峻) Nicc Shao Yi-qun (邵逸群) TvirusLuke Chen Cheng-ching SpiritZ1 Lin Dingyu (林定宇) (3-3, -7)
  3. Nova Esports Nova Esports China Rank #7 o0o0o Ye Xiaodong (叶晓东) OBONE Chen Yijie (陈怡洁) SWERL Ali Kobraee CB Wang Qingchuan (王庆川) Ezeir Zhao Zejun (赵泽骏) GuanG Guang Honglin (光洪霖) (2-4, -14)
  4. Bilibili Gaming Bilibili Gaming China Rank #6 B3ar Yang Zhanxiong (杨瞻雄) whzy Wang Haozhe (王昊哲) Levius Lu Yinzhong (卢胤中) rushia Wang Xiaojie (王晓杰) nephh Marcus Tan Knight Liu Yuxiang (刘宇翔) (2-4, -28)
  5. Wolves Esports Wolves Esports China Rank #2 V1yA Chang Rui-min (张睿珉) SiuFatBB Pong Gaa Hei (庞加曦) Yuicaw Huang Yung-chieh (黃湧傑) Spring Liu Jiunting (刘俊霆) Lysoar Liang Youhao (梁优好) Juicy Tyler James Aeria (2-4, -28)

Group Omega

  1. FunPlus Phoenix FunPlus Phoenix China Rank #5 Autumn Kale Dunne Life Qu Donghao (瞿东豪) AAAAY Zhang Yang (张杨) BerLIN Zhang Bolin (張柏霖) yosemite Wang Lei (王磊) (5-0, +55)
  2. Trace Esports Trace Esports China Rank #4 LuoK1ng Zhang Zhanpeng (张展鹏) Kai Lu Zhinan (卢智楠) FengF Song Xuefeng (宋学锋) heybay Ho Shun Hei Biank Zhong Jianfei (钟剑飞) (3-2, +17)
  3. All Gamers All Gamers China Rank #15 player Kevin Yang (杨凯文) bunt Jiang He (姜河) monk Wang Haoyu (王浩宇) deLb Delbert Tanoto Spitfires Xin Mingyan (辛明阳) K1ra Huang Zhihao (黄志豪) X3B Zhang Chongtian (张丛天) (3-2, -3)
  4. TYLOO TYLOO China Rank #20 Ninebody Ding Yi (丁毅) coldfish Pengzhi Xiang (向鹏志) slowly Kelun Sun (孙科伦) hfmi0dzjc9z7 Zhang Juncheng (张峻程) Eren Yang Zhengwei (杨曾威) (2-3, -3)
  5. Titan Esports Club Titan Esports Club China Rank #18 AC Wei Jiacong (韦家聪) Haodong Guo Haodong (郭浩东) Abo Han Bohao (韩博皓) kawaii Piao Min (朴民) Rb Goo Sang-min (구상민) (2-3, -34)
  6. JDG Esports JDG Esports China Rank #9 YHchen Chen Yuhan (陳昱瀚) stew Park Young-chan (박영찬) Viva Lifan Ran (冉立凡) jkuro Yong Haochong (杨浩聪) Z1yan Liu Zihan (刘紫涵) sword9 Li Wei (李卫) (1-4, -5)

Prize Distribution

Each team gets a circuit point per match win.

  • 7th-8th = Bilibili Gaming - 2 points
  • 7th-8th = TYLOO - 2 points
  • 9th-10th = Wolves Esports - 2 points
  • 9th-10th = Titan Esports Club - 2 points
  • 11th = JD Gaming - 1 point

VCT China 2024 Stage 1 playoff preview

All regions have a playoff format where the top teams from each group receive a bye to the double elimination portion of the tournament. The first round between the other teams is single elimination, where the winners move to the double elimination bracket.

This means Trace Esports will face against All Gamers, and Dragon Ranger Gaming will face Nova Esports. The respective winners will face FPX and EDG, where the loser of the first lower bracket round will be the final team not to make Shanghai.

VCT China 2024 Stage 1 playoffs The VCT China 2024 Stage 1 playoff format.

FPX and EDG have two chances each to make Shanghai, but one still can fall out if they go winless. The sole winner of the tournament will receive an extra three circuit points, but the top three all make it to Masters Shanghai.