u/Sakamoto023

Due to VCT CN starting relatively early and overlapping with XXX(u know), the teams participating in XXX — EDG, XLG, and AG — will face a grueling schedule of one match every two days.

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV14ajG6oE2V?

VALORANT Champions Tour | Road to Champions Shanghai

The road to Champions Shanghai is now fully open — every team has the chance to earn their place on the international stage through their own efforts!

Path 1: Direct Qualification to Champions Shanghai via Stage 2 Playoffs

VCT CN League Teams:
① In the Stage 2 Regular Season, the top two teams from each group will compete in the Regular Season Seeding Match to determine their seed order, qualifying directly for the VCT CN Stage 2 Main Playoffs as Seeds 1 through 4.
② The bottom four teams from each group will enter the VCT CN Stage 2 Playoffs Play-In after the Regular Season Seeding Match.

CN Nationals Teams:
① The champion of the S6 Offline Grand Finals will advance directly to the Pro Selection Bracket Stage, while the remaining pro-track teams will compete in the Pro Selection Group Stage for seven spots in the Bracket Stage.
*The champion must complete professional certification to participate in subsequent events; otherwise, the qualification slot will be passed down.
② The top two teams from the Pro Selection will advance to the VCT CN Stage 2 Playoffs Play-In.

In total, 10 teams will enter the Play-In, competing in a double-elimination format for the final four spots in the Main Playoffs. Their placement in the Play-In Seeding Match will determine their seed order, with the four teams advancing as Seeds 5 through 8 to the VCT CN Stage 2 Main Playoffs.

In the Stage 2 Main Playoffs, eight teams will battle in a double-elimination format for the championship — and the champion and runner-up will qualify directly for Champions Shanghai as Seeds 1 and 2.

Path 2: VCT CN League Teams Qualifying via Championship Points

Throughout the Kickoff, Masters, and Stage 1 & 2, league teams will accumulate Championship Points. At the end of the season, the two teams with the highest Championship Points — excluding the top two finishers of the Stage 2 Playoffs — will also qualify for Champions Shanghai.

Who will fight their way through every obstacle to claim victory? Who will rise from the grassroots and write an underdog legend? We'll be watching.

Although Jieni is not exactly young compared to newcomers like Neon, he actually only started playing VALORANT in 2024, essentially beginning systematic practice after getting into university, as he had previously been a student athlete. He is currently on a leave of absence from school. So his poor performance in 2025 had its reasons, though part of that can be blamed on EDG's hasty roster changes (benching S1Mon). EDG's strategy during that period was seriously misguided. Their obsession with winning another champion clouded their judgment, and on top of that, Coach Muggle didn't bring much to the table. This year, after Signed came on board as Jieni's personal coach, things improved significantly. Jieni has truly been in his element when playing Kayo and Vyse.

There's also a meme around Jieni: because of his ID, he's often compared to Blastoise from Pokémon. Now people say that whenever there's water around, he evolves into his final legendary form — especially fitting given the notoriously wet weather in London.