JD Gaming and Trace Esports Reach China Stage 2 Playoffs
Two upsets in one day at the VCT China Stage 2 Play-Ins. JD Gaming eliminated EDward Gaming, and Trace Esports knocked out Dragon Ranger Gaming — both 2-0 and 2-1 respectively — to reach the lower bracket final and lock in their playoff spots.
JD Gaming — The Upset of the Day
EDward Gaming entered Stage 2 as one of China's most consistent sides after dominating Group Omega in Stage 1. JD Gaming ended that run in two maps. The result tells you everything about how surprised the scene was — this was one of the bigger upsets China has produced this season.
JD Gaming bounced back from an earlier Stage 2 stumble to put themselves back in the picture at exactly the right moment. They closed out the series decisively, leaving little room for EDward Gaming to recover.
Trace Esports — A Tighter Battle
The Trace Esports 2-1 win over Dragon Ranger Gaming was the tighter result but equally significant. Dragon Ranger were the more fancied side coming in, but Trace found enough across three maps to close it out.
At 13.40 odds, few expected them to make it this far. Both JD Gaming and Trace Esports now advance to the VCT 2026: China Stage 2 Playoffs regardless of their lower bracket final result — the only question left is seeding and which side enters the bracket with momentum.
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