VCT 2026 China Stage 1 playoffs matches are set

Following the Kickoff events and Masters Santiago, the regional Stage 1 tournaments began in March/April. Now, the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2026 action is heating up once again, with the first region entering its Playoffs Stage for Stage 1.

VCT 2026 China Stage 1 Playoffs Stage

In the Group Stage, 12 teams fought tooth and nail to get to the Playoffs Stage, where they would battle for only three spots at Masters London.

Bilibili Gaming, Wolves Esports, FunPlus Phoenix, and Nova Esports fell flat, leaving a total of eight teams to compete in the Playoffs Stage of VCT 2026 China Stage 1.

As the dust settles, we have our eight teams that fans will watch compete in the double-elimination bracket, from 1 to 10 May 2026. All matches take place live on LAN in China at the Shougang Ice Hockey Arena.

Check out the schedule for the opening Quarterfinals matchups in SAST outlined below, so you don’t miss a second of the top-tier VALORANT esports action.

• XLG Esports vs. Titan Esports Club – Starts on 1 May at 11:00.
• JD Gaming vs. TYLOO – Starts on 1 May at 13:00.
• All Gamers vs. Trace Esports – Starts on 2 May at 11:00.
• EDward Gaming vs. Dragon Ranger Gaming – Starts on 2 May at 13:00.

Those are some good times for South Africans to watch, so we’ll be sure to check out all the matches! Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final matches are best-of-five, while the rest are all best-of-three.

VALORANT esports fans can watch all the action for the VCT 2026 Stage 1 Playoffs matches via the VALORANT Twitch and YouTube channels. Don’t forget to check out the specific VALORANT China Twitch and YouTube channels as well.

Header image via Riot Games.