VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 Overview
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The professional VALORANT season begins with VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026, the first international LAN event of the VCT 2026 calendar. The tournament will bring together the strongest teams from the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China regions, all competing for the championship title, prize money, and crucial VCT points. In this overview, we will cover the tournament dates, format, participating teams, and prize pool.
VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 Format and Dates
VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 will take place from February 28 to March 15, 2026, in Santiago, Chile. This event serves as the first global test of strength between regional champions and top contenders, setting the tone for the rest of the competitive season.
The tournament will be divided into two main stages:
Swiss Stage
- Eight teams participate (2nd and 3rd seeds from each region)
- Swiss-system format
- All matches are Best-of-3
- Four teams advance to the Playoffs
- Four teams are eliminated
Playoffs
- Eight teams total (four qualified from Swiss Stage and four regional champions)
- Double-elimination bracket
- All matches are Best-of-3
- Lower Final and Grand Final are Best-of-5
This format ensures competitive integrity and gives teams multiple chances to prove themselves on the international stage.
Participating Teams
VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 will feature 12 teams that qualified through their regional Kickoff events. You can find a full breakdown of team strength, tiers, and Pick’Em recommendations in our article VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026: Complete Team Tier List and Pick’Em Guide, which analyzes each roster and their chances at the tournament.
Here is the full list of participants:
Americas
EMEA
Pacific
China
These teams represent the highest level of competition in their respective regions and will compete to establish themselves as early favorites for the 2026 season.
VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 Prize Pool
Like other Tier-1 VCT international events, VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 features a $1,000,000 prize pool. In addition to the financial reward, teams will earn valuable VCT points that are essential for qualification to future Masters events and VALORANT Champions 2026.
The prize pool distribution follows the standard system used in Masters events:
Place | Prize ($ USD) |
|---|---|
1 | $350,000 |
2 | $200,000 |
3 | $125,000 |
4 | $75,000 |
5–6 | $50,000 |
7–8 | $35,000 |
9–10 | $25,000 |
11–12 | $15,000 |
Gentle Mates28.02.2612:00Bo3
EDward Gaming1.55Make a bet2.38VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026
XLG28.02.2615:00Bo3
NRG1.8Make a bet1.8VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026
G2 Esports01.03.2612:00Bo3
Paper Rex1.79Make a bet1.96VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026
T101.03.2615:00Bo3
Team Liquid1.51Make a bet2.52VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 is one of the most important early events of the year. It will show which teams are ready to compete at the highest level and which regions currently lead the global meta. Fans can watch the official broadcast on Twitch and YouTube and follow every match as the first international champion of the 2026 VCT season is crowned.
Danil Chepil is an expert in the world of esports, having been following the esports scene since 2014. He specializes in Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and VALORANT.
Danil began his acquaintance and collaboration with EgamersWorld in 2022 when, after the Russian aggression, he could no longer continue his career as a bartender.
At that time, he didn't realize that he had a talent for writing news and articles on esports and gaming topics.
G2 Esports
NRG
FURIA Esports
Team Liquid
Gentle Mates
BBL Esports
Nongshim RedForce
T1
Paper Rex
All Gamers
XLG
EDward Gaming
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