At VALORANT Masters Santiago, luck was not on the side of the Chinese teams, as both EDG and XLG were eliminated from the tournament.
March 3 was a tough day for the Chinese teams at the VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026, with both EDward Gaming (EDG) and Xi Lai Gaming (XLG) being eliminated from the competition. All Gamers is the only team from the region that remains in the running. Their direct qualification for the Playoffs stage has given the region one final chance to make an impact.
EDG and XLG are out of the Masters Santiago
For both Chinese teams, EDG and XLG, their trip to Masters Santiago was shorter than they had hoped. After two series, they were the first two teams eliminated from the tournament. While Gentle Mates and T1 defeated EDG, the American teams NRG and G2 Esports took down XLG.
What’s happening to EDG?
Since their triumph at VALORANT Champions 2024, EDG has struggled to regain its former dominance. Although they won the VCT China Kickoff 2025, their reputation as “the best Chinese team” has faded.
Regionally, they’ve been unable to overcome the so-called third-place curse, and internationally, their performance has been even more disappointing. After finishing third at the Masters Bangkok, the team failed to qualify for the Masters Toronto, and at the Champions 2025, they ended in 13th–16th place.
In the 2025 off-season, the team made big changes to both the roster and the coaching staff. They added Wang “cb” Qingchuan to the roster and the Korean coach Yoon “Autumn” Eu-teum, who had won the Masters Bangkok with T1.
At VALORANT Masters Santiago, EDG faced off against Gentle Mates, a team riding a wave of momentum from the European league. The French organization has been delivering impressive performances, with M8 Marteen even breaking the all-time kill record.
The series against T1 was even more disheartening, with EDG suffering a 1–13 loss on the first map. Although they showed improvement on the second map, it wasn’t enough to secure the series or force a decisive third map. At the post-match press conference, the players described the addition of new staff and players as a “fresh start,” noting that they still haven’t had enough time to build confidence as a team. “I feel we’re only going to keep getting better. There are still a lot of matches left to play,” EDG ZmjjKK said.
XLG and the international pressure
As for Xi Lai Gaming, the situation is quite similar. With two new players joining the roster, there was still not much time to get everyone on the same page. However, the international pressure seems to be affecting Xi Lai Gaming’s performances since their debut in Tier 1.
Their first international performance was at the VALORANT Masters Toronto, where they ended up getting a very impressive 7th-8th place. Fans were hyped and curious about the team, but they failed to succeed regionally. They have qualified for Champion 2025, but also didn’t get past the 9th-12th place. The 2026 season seemed to have started in a better form, but they couldn’t take down All Gamers for the Kickoff title.
At Masters Santiago, XLG faced two American powerhouses: NRG, the Champions 2025 victors, and G2 Esports, a team with an impressive history since Ascension and three consecutive regional tournament wins in 2025. Against NRG, the first match was a stomp. They lost by 2-13, but they didn’t get intimidated by it. While the second map was looking way better for them, especially in the second half, they couldn’t take out a single map.
The matchup against G2 told a different story. XLG started strong, but the American team regained control in the second half, closing the first map 8–13. The second map was a complete rout, with XLG unable to mount a challenge, and falling 3–13.
What’s behind the struggles of the Chinese scene?
There’s no single explanation for why Chinese teams underperformed at the Masters Santiago and other international events. While the region began competing in VALORANT later than others, that alone doesn’t fully account for its lack of international success in recent tournaments.
In the Valorant Competitive Reddit, some users talked about the lack of map control on Chinese teams. “They don’t push main to control rotations or gather intel on lurkers. They’re completely passive,” the user commented. They also criticized Chinese teams for weaker utility usage compared to other regions, a lack of retake strategies, minimal mind games or fake plays, and overall poor discipline. “The Chinese VALORANT is very different from the rest of the world’s because their strategies are adapted to their region,” they added.
As the last remaining representative of VCT China, All Gamers carries the weight of proving that the region is capable of contending for international titles. All eyes are on them. Can they actually make a difference and prove everyone wrong?