Valorant Champions Shanghai playoffs have no Chinese teams: What happened to China’s home advantage?

Ahsan Kabir Published October 8, 2026

VALORANT Champions 2026 was anticipated to be a landmark event for Chinese VALORANT. With Shanghai being the venue for the toughest competition in the VCT calendar, four VCT CN teams had the opportunity to stand before their supporters and showcase their progress.

Meanwhile, the playoffs will start with no representatives from China. EDward Gaming, JD Gaming, TYLOO, and XLG Esports got eliminated before the playoffs. All four representatives also lost their opening series 0-2, immediately putting China on a 0-8 map record.

Well, then, what really became of China’s home-field advantage?

Home advantage could not fix China’s competitive gaps

Image Credits: Valorant Esports

Playing at home was clearly advantageous for Chinese teams. They did not have to travel far and had the backing of their thousands of fans. But it couldn’t help them overcome their other disadvantages. Foreign teams brought diverse tactics, VOD preparation, and exposure to more opponents. Once the Chinese teams’ strategies failed, they had difficulty coming up with something else.

EDG provided the clearest example. For readers following VALORANT betting, China’s campaign also shows why roster stability, map pools and international form deserve closer attention than home support alone.

On August 21, team EDG included Park “stew” Young-chan into their team in place of Jieni7, just shortly before the Champions games. CHICHOO later stated that the team had to compromise on communication and composition. Even more importantly, he confessed that EDG was unable to agree on certain in-game issues and lacked the necessary adjustments that would take place in a timely manner.

This transforms EDG’s failure from a preparation issue to an issue of successfully integrating a new roster and making in-game decisions.

The 0-8 start was more than a bad day

It is not easy to overlook the results of the first matches. TYLOO was beaten by G2 Esports 0-2, EDward Gaming was defeated by LOUD 0-2, XLG Esports lost to Karmine Corp in the same 0-2 gap, and JD Gaming suffered the same fate against FUT Esports.

One bad match does not indicate much, but the fact that four teams failed to win at least one map points to a bigger issue. The teams from China have not only been losing their aim fights. The Chinese competitors have been finding it hard to maintain control as their rivals disrupted their usual setups.

That distinction is important at Champions, where the teams punish predictable utility plays, ineffective retakes, and slow mid-round adaptations much more frequently than in local competitions.

With the playoffs approaching, follow the remaining contenders through our VALORANT live results. Readers considering a wager can also check our GGBET bonus guide for available offers and wagering requirements.

TYLOO and JDG showed the talent was there

Image Credits: Valorant Esports

Positive outcomes were not completely lacking from the campaign of Chinese teams. TYLOO were the first Chinese team to win a map, as they defeated Team Liquid 13-7 in Summit. Then, JD Gaming dominated T1 13-3 in the match on Abyss. However, neither team managed to capitalize on those instances into a series win. Team Liquid won their subsequent two maps against TYLOO, while T1 managed to bounce back from the 13-3 loss in order to beat JDG.

EDG’s Elimination Exposed More Than Preparation Problems. EDward Gaming’s elimination hurts the most because the organization has already proved it can win internationally! Yet after losing 0-2 to LOUD, EDG was eliminated by Global Esports. 13-5 on Summit and 13-6 on Sunset. The comments made by CHICHOO after the game were very interesting. The player admitted that EDG did prepare for Summit, but lacked enough confidence against their opponents since they were new to the map in the VCT China League. Furthermore, the team prepared a very complex composition against LOUD that ended up being way more complicated than anticipated on the stage.

This could be a matter of strategy, but it could also be about poor communication. Players who fail to make decisions during the middle rounds might end up ruining the strategy.

China’s four-slot structure deserves a closer look

Furthermore, there is a more structural concern as well. In Champions 2026, each VCT region is set aside four spots: two of these will be allocated based on Stage 2 playoffs and two according to Championship Points. As a result, in terms of available Champions spots, China will get as many positions as the Americas, EMEA, and Pacific regions.

This ensures representation but does not ensure equal competition depth.

One interesting case study is XLG. The team entered the VCT ecosystem by winning the Ascension China in 2024 and then qualified for Champions 2026 through Championship Points. Their experience shows teams can emerge outside the established elite, but their 0-2 record shows how difficult it is to perform internationally.

The answer does not lie in simply taking away slots from China. The key point is to ensure that the competition below the slots is strong enough to prepare the teams for international play!

The home crowd could motivate opponents too

Home support was predicted to assist Chinese squads, but it also started a new story.

Global Esports’ player UdoTan said that the support of Chinese fans rooting against GE “That only made me want to win more” after GE eliminated EDG. Instead of becoming discouraged by the new environment, the visiting squad managed to take advantage of that.

This means that the crowd did not harm China, but it shows that home advantage is never guaranteed!

Shanghai exposed China’s real problem

Image Credits: Valorant Esports

The failure of China did not result from a single factor. It was due to various factors that included changes in the team, communication, adjustments in tactics, and lack of international experience.

EDward Gaming has proven that China is capable of producing a world champion. The real difficulty lies in making this success translate into consistent international performance for the entire region and not just for one team alone.

Shanghai provided China with the opportunity to play at home and gain experience on the biggest stage of VALORANT. Now it is up to VCT CN to prove its worth outside of its home.

Also, for a closer look at the teams, format, schedule and everything to expect from the tournament, check out our VALORANT Champions 2026 preview.

Featured image credit: Riot Games

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EDward Gaming

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TYLOO VCT Champions Playoffs