VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 in San Diego will feature 12 teams, three from each partnered VCT league: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. Every Kickoff event has now finished, so all regional seeds and slots are confirmed for the first international event of the 2026 season, running from February 28 to March 15.
Every team qualified for Masters Santiago 2026
Here’s the full Masters lineup, grouped by region and seed type.
| Region | Seed type | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Americas | #1 (direct playoffs) | FURIA Esports |
| Americas | #2 (Swiss Stage) | G2 Esports |
| Americas | #3 (Swiss Stage) | NRG |
| EMEA | #1 (direct playoffs) | BBL Esports |
| EMEA | #2 (Swiss Stage) | Gentle Mates |
| EMEA | #3 (Swiss Stage) | FNATIC |
| Pacific | #1 (direct playoffs) | Nongshim RedForce |
| Pacific | #2 (Swiss Stage) | T1 |
| Pacific | #3 (Swiss Stage) | Paper Rex |
| China | #1 (direct playoffs) | All Gamers |
| China | #2 (Swiss Stage) | Xi Lai Gaming (XLG) |
| China | #3 (Swiss Stage) | EDward Gaming (EDG) |
All 12 teams are confirmed through completed Kickoff brackets and updated “all teams qualified” round‑ups; there are no pending tiebreakers or “TBD” slots left at this point.
How VCT 2026 Kickoff works and why these results matter
The 2026 VCT season opens with four on‑LAN Kickoff events, one per international league (Americas, EMEA, Pacific, China), each featuring 12 partnered teams. Riot switched these tournaments to a triple‑elimination format: teams move through upper, middle, and lower brackets, and you’re only out after three match losses.
The winners of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Brackets become their region’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd seeds for Masters Santiago. First seeds get the bonus of skipping the Masters Swiss Stage and starting in the eight‑team double‑elimination playoff bracket, while second and third seeds join the Swiss pool and have to fight through best‑of‑three series to reach playoffs.
From a player’s perspective, that means Kickoff isn’t just “early‑season warmup” anymore; it’s the fastest path to an international LAN and a huge head start in the 2026 circuit.
Americas: FURIA, G2, and NRG headline the region
The Americas Kickoff ran in Los Angeles from January 15 to February 16, with the usual 12‑team partnered lineup from North America, Brazil, and Latin America. By the end, the region’s three Masters slots went to a Brazilian champion and two NA orgs with serious history.
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FURIA Esports – Upper‑bracket champions and Americas #1 seed, completing an unbeaten run through the bracket and earning a direct bye to Masters playoffs.
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G2 Esports – Americas #2 seed, reaching the bracket final and locking in a Swiss Stage spot.
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NRG – Americas #3 seed, taking the final Masters ticket via the lower path and rounding out the region’s trio.
FURIA’s run stands out because they knocked out multiple big names on their way to the title, while G2 and NRG showed they can still convert domestic form into international qualification under the new triple‑elim system.
EMEA: BBL’s breakout, Gentle Mates’ rise, FNATIC’s consistency
VCT 2026: EMEA Kickoff in Berlin turned into one of the most volatile brackets of the season, but three teams emerged with Santiago spots.
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BBL Esports – EMEA #1 seed after winning the entire event, earning a direct playoff berth at Masters.
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Gentle Mates – EMEA #2 seed, carrying their French core to a Swiss Stage spot after a strong upper‑bracket run.
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FNATIC – EMEA #3 seed, stabilizing in the lower bracket and once again making it to the first international LAN of the year.
Between BBL’s surprise title and FNATIC’s habit of qualifying even in chaotic formats, EMEA goes into Santiago with a mix of newcomers and a proven international heavyweight.
Pacific: Nongshim RedForce’s breakthrough with T1 and Paper Rex
In Pacific, the Kickoff event delivered one of the biggest storyline shifts, with Nongshim RedForce claiming the top seed over more established names.
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Nongshim RedForce – Pacific #1 seed and direct playoff team, celebrated as a historic breakthrough for this roster and organization.
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T1 – Pacific #2 seed, securing a Swiss Stage spot off the back of a strong bracket run in Seoul.
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Paper Rex – Pacific #3 seed, returning to the international stage yet again after surviving the lower path.
If you follow Pacific closely, this mix makes sense: T1 and Paper Rex bring experience and name value, while Nongshim RedForce arrive as the new threat with momentum from the regional win.
China: All Gamers, XLG, and EDG complete the field
China’s Kickoff, run under the VCT China league structure, finished earlier in February and locked three teams into the Masters lineup.
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All Gamers (AG) – China #1 seed, winning the Kickoff final 3–2 and heading straight to Masters playoffs.
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Xi Lai Gaming (XLG) – China #2 seed, qualifying for yet another international event after a tight series win in the upper path.
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EDward Gaming (EDG) – China #3 seed, claiming the last Santiago slot by beating Bilibili Gaming in the decisive lower‑bracket match.
AG will be a fresh face on the Masters stage, while XLG and EDG return with prior global experience and plenty of VODs for other regions to study.
What Masters Santiago in San Diego will look like
Masters Santiago 2026 runs from February 28 to March 15 at Espacio Riesco in Santiago, Chile, and serves as the first global LAN of the 2026 VCT season. Its structure is split into two phases:
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Swiss Stage
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8 teams: all 2nd and 3rd seeds (Americas, EMEA, Pacific, China).
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Best‑of‑three matches with advancement and elimination thresholds based on match record.
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Playoffs
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8 teams: 4 Swiss qualifiers + 4 regional #1 seeds (FURIA, BBL, Nongshim RedForce, All Gamers).
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Double‑elimination bracket; most series are best‑of‑three, with longer sets reserved for the final rounds.
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If you just want to follow your region, the simple rule is: your Kickoff winner starts in playoffs, your other two representatives have to survive Swiss first.
