China Stage 1 playoffs set after groups, seeding games

The final week of the VCT China 2026 Stage 1 group stage is over, with seeding matches determining the playoff stage. After all the qualification games ended, eight teams fought to determine who they would face to start the Stage 1 playoffs for a chance at Masters London.

Here is how all the VCT China 2026 Stage 1 week three games went:

• JD Gaming 2-0 TYLOO
• Dragon Ranger Gaming 2-1 Trace Esports
• Titan Esports Club 2-0 FunPlus Phoenix
• All Gamers 2-1 Bilibili Gaming
• Nova Esports 2-0 Wolves Esports
• Xi Lai Gaming 2-1 EDward Gaming

Here is how all the extra seeding matches went:

• TYLOO 2-0 Dragon Ranger Gaming
• EDward Gaming 2-1 JDG Esports
• Trace Esports 2-1 Titan Esports Club
• Xi Lai Gaming 2-1 All Gamers

Over these ten games, the playoff picture was finalized, as both Bilibili Gaming and FunPlus Phoenix ended outside the playoffs for Group Alpha with a 2-3 record. TEC was the team that qualified above them, squeezing into the playoffs. Group Omega was already decided in the previous week, but with the seeding matches done, the first round of playoffs is set.

When it comes to top performances this week, it is hard not to bring up Xi Lai Gaming, who continued its regional win streak with a group stage and a seeding series win. In week three, happywei stepped up on Omen to lead the region with a 1.43 K:D, while also finishing tied second at 0.91 KPR and rating at 1.28. His performances took XLG to the top seed and a favorable matchup against TEC in the playoffs.

Coco nails down four on the pistol round against Trace Esports.

Spring played amazingly in Wolves' loss against Nova, but the true star this week was Coco from TEC, who ended the week with the lead in rating at 1.33 and tied second in K:D at 1.32. Now, the best players from week three in happywei and Coco will face off against each other to start the Stage 1 playoffs in 2026.

The playoffs begin on May 1, and this playoff format is a standard double elimination, with no teams starting in the lower bracket. These matchups constitute the first round:

• Xi Lai Gaming vs. Titan Esports Club
• JDG Esports vs. TYLOO
• All Gamers vs. Trace Esports
• EDward Gaming vs. Dragon Ranger Gaming