VALORANT Championship 2026 has yielded a surprising opening stage in Shanghai, where the teams from the host nation have failed to bag a single map, as all four Chinese teams lost their opening games.
Chinese teams closed the opening round with a 0-8 map record, which is strange given home crowds often lead to strong performances and Cinderella runs. TYLOO, Xi Lai Gaming, EDward Gaming and JD Gaming were seen dropping to the lower bracket, leaving them with no margin for error from here on out.
The likes of Xi Lai Gaming tasted a tough defeat as Karmine Corp made quick work of them with 13-3 and 13-6 scorelines. JD, on the other hand, managed to cut it closer on their second map with a 13-10 scoreline, having lost the opening map 13-1. This storyline remains consistent with other Chinese teams who will have to continue in the Lower Bracket, where a single loss leads to elimination.
Sharing the woes of the Chinese were the teams from the Pacific region, as Paper Rex was the only team winning their opening round match while T1, Nongshim RedForce, and Global Esports suffered tough losses.
Contrary to the performance of Chinese sides. American teams have gotten off to the most perfect start possible, going 8-0 on the maps, as G2, NRG, LOUD, and 100 Thieves start their Champions journey having won all of the maps in the opening round.
Just like the Americans, EMEA also enjoyed a strong opening day, with Karmine Corp, FUT, and Vitality securing convincing victories and Team Liquid being the only team to register a loss.
Losing the opening game is not the end of the world, as we have seen several teams across different esports where teams were able to make deep runs and even win the whole thing on many occasions after losing their opening game. With all four Chinese teams facing elimination, the second round of the event will need a major turnaround if China wants to have representation in an event on their home soil.
