Following the conclusion of the Swiss stage, the Masters Shanghai playoffs have been set. The event will continue on May 30, with two weeks of matches playing out until June 9, when the next Masters winner will be crowned.
The playoffs will be an eight team, double elimination bracket with best-of-three matches until the lower final. The final two matches, the lower final and the grand final, are best-of-five. The winning team will earn $350,000 USD and three championship points.
Four of the eight teams earned their spot through the VCT leagues. The winners of their respective league were seeded directly into the knockout bracket. Additionally, Masters Shanghai was the first event to feature a playoffs draw where teams picked their opponent. The teams that received a bye were able to select one of the four teams that qualified through the Swiss stage in a live draw.
The selection order was randomly determined. Paper Rex was the first team to be drawn, picking G2 Esports. 100 Thieves next picked FUT Esports, followed by EDward Gaming choosing Team Heretics as their opponent. FNATIC and Gen.G were the final teams remaining, rounding out the playoffs bracket as the last matchup.
