The VCT 2025 China Stage 2 playoffs continued with two key matches. Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG) topped Bilibili Gaming (BLG) 2-1 in the upper-bracket final, while EDward Gaming (EDG) swept Xi Lai Gaming (XLG) 2-0 in the lower bracket. These wins lock in DRG and EDG among China's top four teams headed to Champions, and set up a decider between BLG and EDG for the last final spot. Key results:

• DRG 2–1 BLG – DRG won on Haven (13-10) and Sunset (13-11) after dropping Lotus (9-13). This victory sends DRG to their first VCT CN grand final and secures a top-two seed for Champions (crucial for the Ascension team).
• EDG 2–0 XLG – EDG won Lotus 13-11 and Corrode 13-5. The former CN champions quickly dispatched their Stage 1 conquerors XLG, avenging last split's upset and staying alive in the playoff bracket.
• Up Next: Bilibili Gaming vs EDward Gaming (Lower Bracket Final) – winner faces DRG in the Stage 2 Grand Final.

DRG vs BLG: Upper-Bracket Final Recap

DRG (an Ascension-eligible team) continued its Cinderella run by outplaying BLG 2-1. DRG's win guarantees them at least a 2nd-place seed for Champions, and importantly places them above rival Ascension squad XLG in Stage 2 standings – a tiebreak advantage if both reach Champions in the same spot.

On Haven, BLG picked pistol but DRG stole the first round and stormed to a 4-1 lead. BLG clawed back to cut the deficit to 7-5 by halftime, but in the second half DRG again won the pistol and used an aggressive defensive setup to shut down BLG's site hits. DRG's early fights and solid defense carried them to a 13-10 victory on map onevlr.gg.

DRG chose Lotus next, a map they had previously won in OT. However, BLG's two pistol wins and DRG's ill-timed force-buy left DRG on the back foot. DRG's aggressive plays backfired (notably using ultimates in a 2v3 they lost), and BLG's veteran neptth (Omen) stopped DRG's defenses with teleports. BLG took control and closed out map two 13-9, evening the series.

In the decider Sunset, BLG again won both pistols to jump to 4-0, but DRG dominated the rest of the map. After trading an early eco round, DRG won seven straight attack rounds – blasting through BLG's defenses – to reach match point. BLG switched to a retake-heavy defense and whzy's fragging briefly cut the lead to 12-11, but DRG closed it out 13-11 with one last site take. The series scores were 13-10 (Haven), 9-13 (Lotus), 13-11 (Sunset) in DRG's favor.

Key Highlights:

• Pistol Rounds: DRG won two of three pistols in Haven, setting up their 13-10 win. BLG's early pistols on Sunset gave them leads, but DRG battled back with strong economy round wins.
• Aggressive Defense: DRG consistently played aggressive defense (often pushing BLG's attackers) which paid off on Haven and Sunset.
• Map Momentum: After dropping Lotus 9-13 due to a mid-game tactical error, DRG never lost their momentum on Sunset, winning 7 in a row on attack.

EDG vs XLG: Lower-Bracket Elimination

In the night's second match, Stage 1 champions EDward Gaming (EDG) sought revenge against Xi Lai Gaming (XLG), who had taken the title from them. EDG, now featuring a Yoru pick for ZmjjKK, looked sharper and routed XLG 2-0. This win avenges their Stage 1 loss and advances EDG to face BLG next. For XLG, the loss means they will enter Champions as China's #4 seed – one spot below DRG – and must outperform DRG at Champions to avoid relegation playoffs.

On XLG's map pick (Lotus), EDG jumped ahead by winning the pistol and stayed level until mid-half. With the teams tied 4-4, EDG surged late in the half – winning the last four rounds (capped by a 1v2 from CHICHOO) to lead 8-4 at halftime. EDG then took the second-half pistol and quickly charged to 12-4, reaching match point at 12-4. XLG finally mounted a comeback: winning rounds on defense (running a triple-sentinel comp) to force 11-12. Ultimately EDG held their nerve at the A site to secure the map 13-11.

EDG's map pick (Corrode) was one-sided. Despite dropping both pistols, EDG won both immediate eco rounds, then simply ran away with the map. Jieni7 (Neon) and ZmjjKK (Yoru) dominated in duels, and EDG closed it out 13-5 by stringing together rounds on attack and defense. With the 2-0 sweep (13-11, 13-5), EDG moves on, keeping their hopes of reclaiming the CN crown alive.

Key Highlights:

• Early Lead: EDG built an 8-4 lead on Lotus by winning back-to-back pistols and pressuring XLG's defense. XLG's late rally fell short.
• Composure Under Pressure: EDG reached match point quickly, then survived an 11-12 scare to finish Lotus 13-1.
• Dominant Corrode: On Corrode, EDG's post-pistol eco wins and star play by Jieni7/ZmjjKK secured a 13-5 victory.

What's Next: BLG vs EDG for the Final Berth

The lower bracket final will feature Bilibili Gaming against EDward Gaming to decide who will challenge DRG in the Stage 2 grand finalvlr.gg. The winner will face DRG in a best-of-five final to determine the Stage 2 champion and the remaining Champions qualifier from China. Stay tuned on the iQOO community for live updates, breakdowns, and results as these epic Valorant playoffs conclude.

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