VALORANT Champions is currently in the group stage and one team has already crushed the dreams of most VCT fans hoping for perfect Pick'Ems.

After China’s disappointing return at Masters Shanghai, VCT fans were left in doubt about the four teams from the region that would go to Champions. Group C, for example, looked like it would be an uphill battle for China’s Trace Esports to emerge victorious over teams like Leviatán, who had two world champions in aspas and C0M. Fast forward to today, and Trace not only defeated Leviatán, but also secured the top spot in Group C, meaning the Chinese team has already qualified for the playoffs. Few VALORANT players could have predicted this outcome.

Riot confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that only 3.2 percent of Pick’Ems from the VCT community put Trace Esports in that top spot for Group C. So if you were hoping to earn one of VALORANT’s rarest items with perfect Pick’Ems, that dream is already dead unless you were among the 3.2 percent who believed in Trace. And even if you did put the Chinese team at the top of Group C, the rest of your Pick’Ems would have to be just right with everything going on at the international event to keep the dream alive, including the playoffs.

With Trace Esports single-handedly squeezing out 96.8 percent of fans for perfect Pick’Ems, it’s possible that no one will walk away with the coveted “100%” title at the end of Champions. On the bright side, though, we can expect a nice underdog story for VCT’s most underrated region. As it stands, Trace is the only Chinese team guaranteed a playoff spot, with EDWARD Gaming still in contention should they win their next match. Bilibili and FPX were both eliminated in their groups.