After announcing the ten partnered Chinese teams for VCT China this year, Riot left an eleventh spot vacant for the future. Now, eight teams will be participating in VCT 2023 China: Ascension for the final spot in the international league, starting from 23 December 2023.
Since the official launch of Valorant took place in August 2023, Riot wasn't able to establish a structure around the Chinese region until now. While there wasn't a proper roadmap for China as a region to enter the international tournament, Riot invited Chinese teams to the Masters and Champions events based on their local performance. With the official addition of China as the fourth region in the Valorant Champions Tour, the 2024 season will be a lot more competitive.
Valorant Champions Tour 2023 China Ascension: Teams, Format, And More
VCT 2023 China: Ascension will kick off on 23 December 2023, in Shanghai, China, which will also be home to the second Masters event of 2024. The teams competing in the Ascension were picked on their Evolution Circuit Points. Here are the eight teams to compete in the VCT 2023 China: Ascension.
- Rare Atom
- Attacking Soul Esports
- Dragon Ranger Gaming
- Ninja In Pyjamas
- 17Gaming
- Night Wings Gaming
- Four Angry Men
- KeepBest gaming
The tournament will begin with the Group Stage where eight teams will be divided into two groups. The Group Stage will follow a double-elimination format. The respective groups' opening day (23 December 2023) fixtures are:
- Group A:
- Ninjas In Pyjamas vs Night Wings Gaming (at 09:30 AM IST)
- Rare Atom vs KeepBest Gaming (at 11:30 AM IST)
- Group B:
- Dragon Ranger Gaming vs 17Gaming (at 01:30 PM IST)
- Attacking Soul Esports vs Four Angry Men (at 03:30 PM IST)
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Playoffs of the tournament whereas the rest of the four teams will have to wait for the upcoming season. In the Playoffs, the top four teams will compete again in a double-elimination format for the VCT China League slot. The event winner will join the ten partnered teams to participate in the upcoming VCT 2024 league. VCT China partnered teams announced by Riot Games are:
- All Gamers
- BilBili Gaming
- EDward Gaming
- Titan Esports Club
- TYLOO
- Nova Esports
- JD Gaming
- Trace Esports
- Wolves Esports
- FunPlus Pheonix
After the VCT 2023 China: Ascension event, all eleven league teams will meet on 22 February 2024, for the kickoff tournament of the season. Out of the eleven teams, the top two teams will qualify for the first Masters event of 2024, VCT Masters Madrid 2024.