In a surprising development, EDward Gaming (EDG), the 2024 VALORANT Champions champion, failed to qualify for Masters Toronto, the second international stop of the VCT 2025 season. Despite a strong performance during the group stage at VCT China Stage 1, topping their group, their qualifying campaign fell short of expectations. A defeat to XLG Esports in the upper bracket semifinals relegated them to the lower bracket, where they defeated Dragon Ranger 2-1 but were eliminated after another 2-1 loss to Bilibili Gaming. This defeat ended EDG's hopes of reaching Masters Toronto and denied them the opportunity to improve on their third-place finish at Masters Bangkok earlier this year. With EDG absent from the event, Bilibili Gaming, Wolves Esports, and XLG Esports will carry China's hopes at Masters Toronto, scheduled for June 7-22, 2025. EDG, considered one of the strongest Chinese teams in VALORANT, entered the 2025 season aiming to build on their Champions 2024 achievement. Their absence from Masters Toronto puts additional pressure on them ahead of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, where VALORANT will make its event debut. The powerful Chinese team is currently participating in the VALORANT China Evolution Series Act 2, part of the Asian Champions League. The top two teams from this tournament will qualify for the Esports World Cup. Looking ahead, EDG's next major international opportunity will be VALORANT Champions 2025. China will be represented by four teams: the top two teams from VCT China Stage 2, and the top two teams based on ranking points. EDG still leads by 10 points, but their position could be threatened if other Chinese teams deliver strong results in Toronto.
