Dragon Ranger Gaming claims VCT China Ascension slot
Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG) has claimed the VCT China (CN) Ascension slot. This makes them the final team to join the 11 team league. Earlier in the month, VCT China unveiled the 10 teams that would be made partners as part of the new VCT CN league. They also announced an 11th slot to be made available and the prize for the VCT CN Ascension tournament, which just concluded. Henceforth, DRG - much like their peers in the other leagues - have earned a 2-year temporary spot in the VCT China league for 2024 to 2025.
The Finalized List of VCT China Teams
- FunPlus Phoenix
- Bilibili Gaming
- JD Gaming
- Wolves Esports
- EDward Gaming
- TYLOO
- Nova Esports
- Trace Esports
- Titan Esports Club
- All Gamers
- Dragon Ranger Gaming
What Happened in VCT China Ascension?
The VCT CN Ascension tournament just concluded, having run over the course of a week. The tournament had two sections to it: a Group Stage and a Playoffs Stage. A total of 8 teams participated in the event (all active and non-partnered).
- Rare Atom
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- Night Wings Gaming
- KeepBest Gaming
- Attacking Soul Esports
- Dragon Ranger Gaming
- Four Angry Men
- 17 Gaming
Read here for more information on the format and teams that attended.
They were chosen based on their accrued Circuit Points. The 8 teams were separated into 2 groups and competed in Bo3s, with the top 2 from each group moving on to the Playoffs. The following teams qualified to the Playoffs through their performance.
- Rare Atom
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- Attacking Soul Esports
- Dragon Ranger Gaming
For most of the tournament, two teams were considered front-runners for the position in the league - Attacking Soul Esports and Rare Atom.
ASE was the most well-known, having recently competed in the VCT Champions 2023 tournament after earning their spot through the China Evolution Series. While having not competed internationally yet, Rare Atom’s current roster is also considered one of the best in China, frequently populating the top 3 charts in China’s tournaments behind EDward Gaming.
The VCT China Ascension Dream Run
Despite the weighted odds, Dragon Rangers persevered in their goal of attaining the final spot. A devastating early matchup between them and Rare Atom did place them in a difficult spot, with the latter defeating them 2-0. Now in the lower bracket, they faced NIP, a team of relatively newer players whom they were able to defeat.
Meanwhile in the upper bracket, ASE and RA had both won their respective opening matches, placing the two favorites in an early clash ahead of the finals. RA emerged victorious and DRG had to face one of the favorites for a shot at the finals. Surprisingly, the closest series of the Playoffs (3-2) went the way of DRG, who then faced a rematch tonight against their former conquerors, RA. In a nail-biting conclusion to the week-long battle for the final seat at the table, DRG pulled ahead, winning the series 3-1, completing the undefeated lower bracket run.
[Translated] DRG Celebration Post after winning VCT China Ascension. Credit: DRG Weibo.Follow Strafe Esports for the latest updates on VCT China, the other international leagues, and the latest VALORANT news.
Credit: DRG Weibo
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