"The CN region is getting tired of saying we need confidence" - NoMan on China's international struggles and the road to London
XLG Esports's clean 2-0 victory against Dragon Ranger Gaming in Week 1 of VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - China Stage 1 was the perfect tonic after a bruising VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026 campaign. The Hong Kong-Welsh player James "NoMan" Man Ga-kit was instrumental in XLG's dominant showing, helping his team kick off their Stage 1 run in Hangzhou on a high note.
Following the win, Adrian from THESPIKE sat down with NoMan to discuss bouncing back from Santiago, the state of VCT China as a region, and what qualifying to Masters London would mean to him personally.
Winning this game was a good reminder that we're actually okay VALORANT players.
_1742641966215.png&w=64&q=75 "VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - China Stage 1")
_1725812920307.png&w=3840&q=75 "XLG Esports")
_1725812920307.png&w=48&q=75 "XLG Esports")
_1725812920307.png&w=96&q=75 "XLG Esports")
WsLeo
NoMan
Rarga
Lysoar
THESPIKE: Coming off a win against DRG to start your Stage 1 run strong, how are you feeling about the road to London?
NoMan: You never know when you come into a completely new stage what it's gonna be like. You don't know who's gonna be good, who's gonna be bad. It's always exciting: you get the little butterflies in your stomach when you start the first round. We played really well on the first map, and then maybe a bit too overconfident on the second map. We got very lucky in the last round, I'll say. But we got it over the line, and I guess that's what matters most.
THESPIKE: It's been a couple of weeks since Santiago, where XLG had an early exit. Have you had a chance to reflect on the tournament?
NoMan: Yeah, we had a really mini break with some time off. You obviously reflect on what worked well, which wasn't a lot for us in Santiago, but mostly focus on improving what we can do in the CN region. It's hard to remember that we actually played well in Kickoff to earn our place in Santiago after we got absolutely demolished there. But winning this game was a good reminder that we're actually okay VALORANT players.
THESPIKE: Is confidence a big part of it? I remember you talking about this in an interview at Santiago about why Chinese teams might not do as well early at internationals because they lack that belief.
NoMan: For sure, that's an element always. In any sport or esport, confidence is key. But I think the CN region as a whole is getting tired of trying to say we need confidence and experience. I hope that at least in Masters London and Champs, we can show on the international stage that we're back and that we're actually okay.
THESPIKE: From your perspective, having had a brief stint in EMEA, do you think the way forward for China is more about bringing in tactical depth and leadership rather than just mechanically gifted players like Roman "f4ngeer" Smirnov?
NoMan: It's a way, for sure. It depends what you want. I think a lot of teams want instant success rather than team building, and that's what you see in esports a lot. You lose a tournament, you kick a player. You win a tournament, you keep that five for the rest of the year. It's very flip-floppy. Maybe it would've been best if people could stick it out and go through the losses together and learn through that experience, like the Chinese players do.
I'm guessing teams like Nova Esports just want instant success, so they're bringing in people who have the experience already. But overall, that'll just bring the level up. We have imports here and we have international coaches, but if anything, that's just gonna bring up the level for the Chinese players. I think it's still a win-win for CN.
THESPIKE: With a twelve-team league and so few games, do you think the culture in China is more cutthroat and less willing to stick things out?
NoMan: Yeah, for sure. When you have a twelve-team league and the amount of games you play in VALORANT, it's not that many. It's almost a necessity to win, and if you don't, the coaches and the owners see it as a reason for change. If you can find a team that wants to focus on long-term growth, that would be great, but I just don't see that being the case in any VALORANT team right now.
THESPIKE: With XLG though with Aleksandr "hvoya" Eremin, with this core, you guys haven't made huge roster changes coming into 2026. Do you think that's a manifestation of that long-term approach?
NoMan: Yeah. When we were in Santiago we all felt horrible and terrible. But when you think about it from a long-term perspective, we played relatively okay in Kickoff. We've had a good start now. We ended up starting the year with a completely new IGL in Huang "WsLeo" Ping-wei who was new to the role, so we're kind of painting from a blank canvas. We're trying our best to mold the team into what we want for the long term as well as the short term. But with the VALORANT meta changes, it's almost not in our hands. Sometimes you just have to completely shift the playbook, so it's a mix of both long-term growth and shifting to the meta.
THESPIKE: How does the language barrier work on this team? Do you speak fluent Mandarin?
NoMan: Not fluent, no. I can communicate in game, but not fluent. But actually, I don't think it's harder outside of the game either. We lucked out in a certain way with all our players speaking fantastic English. So outside of the game, we mainly communicate in English. You kind of treat it like a brother to brother relationship. Sometimes I wanna chuck those guys out a window, and other times we're best mates wanting to do everything together. When you live with someone every single day for a year, you build that kind of brother relationship.
THESPIKE: One of the defining features of VCT China this year is the road show: you're in Hangzhou now. Compared to being stuck in Berlin in EMEA, how has traveling around different cities been?
NoMan: You just gotta take a step back sometimes. We're playing VALORANT, and we're being asked to travel to all these different cities in China, and they're gorgeous. You're basically being paid to travel China, and then if you do well, travel the world. It's almost surreal to be able to visit these cities, and it's such a cool experience.
THESPIKE: Last question then. It's a tough road to London, but you guys started off well. You went to university in the UK and you're half Welsh, so what would qualifying to London mean to you?
NoMan: It would mean the absolute world to me. I'm putting absolutely ten toes down. I'm getting the strat book out. I'm putting pencil to paper. I'm doing everything in my possibility to get to London because that's where my girlfriend is, that's where I've made friends at university. It would be absolutely unbelievable to be in London. I'm just trying my best to get there.
THESPIKE: It's been an absolute pleasure. Good luck for the rest of the split.
XLG continue Stage One against Trace Esports on April 5 as they continue in their pursuit of qualifying to Masters London. Keep up with the latest VCT news on THESPIKE.GG.
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