Dragon Ranger Gaming returns to VCT with Ascension China 2025 win

Dragon Ranger Gaming (DRG) has won VCT Ascension China 2025 by sweeping Rare Atom 3-0 in the Grand Final.

With its second Ascension trophy, the Chinese team take its slot back in Riot Games’ franchised VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) for another year.

DRG first ascended to China’s VCT circuit by lifting the VCT Ascension trophy in 2023. Though it took the team until the 2024 season to make waves in tier-one and qualify for its first global VCT tournament, Masters Shanghai.

Similarly, DRG had a slow start to this year’s season, missing out on both Masters events before its miracle run in Stage 2. Thanks to its second-place finish in the final regional VCT competition of the year, DRG became one of four Chinese teams to represent the region at VALORANT Champions 2025.

According to Riot’s updated rules for Ascension teams, a Champions qualification would typically secure a roster’s VCT slot for the next season. However, as both DRG and the 2024 Ascension team, XLG Esports qualified for Champions 2025, their respective Champions results determined which squad was safe from relegation to tier-two.

Being eliminated from the tournament slightly ahead of XLG, DRG was forced to defend its VCT rights in this year’s Ascension event.

On October 11th, DRG joined seven teams from China’s Challengers circuit for the region’s most important tier-two VALORANT tournament of the year.

While the 2023 Ascension winner had a flawless Group Stage, defeating both Group A opponents Thunder Gaming (2-0) and Zhu Chao Gaming (2-0), the Playoffs looked different. In its first playoffs match, DRG was sent to the lower bracket by Any Questions Gaming (2-0).

The team had to then win the Lower Bracket Final rematch against Any Questions (3-2) to meet Rare Atom in the Grand Final.

Despite its map veto disadvantage, DRG didn’t drop a single game against Rare Atom. The team first won Corrode (13-4) and Sunset (13-10) to conclude the series in a dominant fashion on its perma-ban Bind (13-1).

Unfortunately for rival Rare Atom, this was the third consecutive second-place result at VCT Ascension China. DRG, on the other hand, will return to VCT China for the 2026 season.