This year's Champions — VALORANT’s annual world championship — will be held in Paris from Sep 12 to Oct 5. To build up to the event, Sheep Esports is presenting one of the 16 qualified teams every day ahead of the tournament. This Wednesday, the countdown ends with the introduction of Bilibili Gaming, VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) China’s 1st seed.

BLG was the first VCT China team to secure a place at VALORANT Champions 2025 in Paris. They claimed China’s #1 seed with consistent results, runner-up in Stage 1 and title winners in Stage 2, and took their first regional trophy despite the shadow of EDward Gaming, the 2024 world champions. This achievement highlights BLG’s rise and momentum as they head towards the world stage.

Equally notable is the fact that BLG qualified with their original five players — Wang "whzy" Haozhe, Liu "Knight" Yuxiang, Lu "Levius" Yinzhong, Marcus "Nephh" Tan and Wang "rushia" Xiaojie, a rare feat of full-roster continuity. This stability, from an organisation that has only fielded 16 players in total in VALORANT, has powered them past EDG and Dragon Ranger Gaming, and will send a cohesive, well-drilled unit to Paris with a clear identity.

Outlook for Champions 2025

Bilibili Gaming enter as dark-horse contenders with real momentum. Their yearlong evolution—from early stumbles to a balanced, title-winning form—suggests they’re peaking at the right time. It remains to be seen whether this new look will scale on the world stage, but BLG have the firepower to surprise.

In groups, they’ll meet veteran opponents from other regions, yet BLG’s blend of fast-paced aggression and disciplined structure can catch established lineups off-guard. With all five players in sync, team chemistry under pressure is a genuine edge. rushia will be pivotal: his calm defensive leadership, steady utility, and clutch timing unlock space for whzy and the rest of the squad. If that Stage 2 level holds, BLG have a legitimate shot at a deep run in Paris. At minimum, this full-strength lineup has already made history for Chinese Valorant, now they’ll aim to turn regional success into global impact.

Seven Maps, One Threat

Bilibili Gaming arrive at Champions with a well-rounded pool and clear strengths on Lotus, Bind, and Abyss. Those maps have driven much of BLG’s momentum this year — especially Abyss, with a 100% win rate out of four games — and give them multiple ways to set the pace in best-of-threes and best-of-fives. There are still questions to solve. Haven and Sunset lag behind the pack, while Corrode is a tiny sample, playable, but not yet proven at international speed. Expect BLG to lean toward Lotus/Bind/Abyss and protect Haven/Sunset in vetoes.

BLG win rates on the Champions map pool:

rushia, the super rookie

Eighteen-year-old rookie rushia, promoted from BLG’s academy in late 2024, stepped straight into the Controller role (Omen/Viper/Brimstone), giving the roster fresh structure. His arrival coincided with BLG’s shift towards a more methodical, macro-oriented style. Together with fellow newcomer Neph, he balanced the team’s trademark aggression with disciplined setups. By Stage 2, the pieces had fallen into place and BLG secured their place in the Champions tournament.

This was most evident in the Stage 2 Grand Final against DRG, where BLG employed a double Controller strategy on Lotus. Rushia excelled on Viper, helping to establish an 8–4 lead and stabilise the series. Throughout the match, he made crucial trades and remained calm under pressure, winning rounds and topping the server with a 1.13 rating, 80% KAST and 205 ACS. His reliability complements superstar whzy, forming a formidable partnership of explosive entry and composed backbone. BLG have already signed rushia to a contract that runs until 2028, demonstrating their faith in a rookie who embodies their develop-and-trust philosophy, and who looks set to join the ranks of VALORANT's elite Controllers.

Rushia 2025 averages:

Bilibili Gaming roster heading into Champions 2025