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All Teams Qualified for VALORANT Masters Santiago
With the regional Kickoff tournaments finally wrapping up, the first pieces of the 2026 international puzzle are falling into place. VALORANT Masters Santiago in Chile will be the season’s first global test, and the early list of qualified squads already mixes brand-new stories with familiar contenders.
VCT China:
All Gamers
Emerging from the Upper Bracket, All Gamers have produced what may be the most shocking run of the year so far. They dismantled established names like Bilibili Gaming and Dragon Ranger Gaming, then capped the streak by defeating XLG in the grand finals to lock in their Masters berth.
This result is also the organization’s best-ever league finish, improving on previous peaks of 5th–6th place. But with a historic high comes new pressure: Santiago will be AG’s international debut, and first-time LAN appearances can be unforgiving when every opponent is elite.
Xi Lai Gaming
XLG Esports arrive via the Middle Bracket as former VCT CN Stage 1 winners and a team that has looked like a title threat for a long time. Their Kickoff was remarkably consistent, with just one loss—the Upper Bracket final against All Gamers—before they immediately rebounded in the Middle Bracket finals.
That recovery came the hard way: a tense 3–2 win over Bilibili Gaming. Unlike AG, XLG aren’t new to the global stage, and that experience matters. As China’s second seed, their goal in Santiago will be to make a more lasting impression than in their prior international outings.
EDward Gaming
EDward Gaming qualifying through the Lower Bracket is the kind of bracket path that can shock casual fans, especially given their history. But it also reflects a changing local landscape: China’s internal hierarchy is shifting, and the era of automatic EDG dominance appears to be over.
After being knocked down by BLG, EDG launched a ruthless lower-bracket run, eliminating JDG, TYLOO, and DRG before getting revenge on BLG to claim the final Masters slot. Even if they haven’t been able to consistently replicate their peak form, writing them off in a tournament still remains a dangerous mistake.
VCT Pacific:
Nongshim RedForce
Nongshim RedForce's qualification for Masters Santiago marks a historic breakthrough as the first-ever Pacific Ascension team to reach an international tournament. The Korean roster controlled the tempo against Rex Regum Qeon throughout their series. While they showed nerves with crucial chokes on maps 1 and 4, Nongshim responded with dominant 13–8 and 13–5 victories on Bind and Haven. On Breeze, they unleashed a devastating 12-round streak from 0–1 to reach 12–1, eventually closing 13–7 to seal their Santiago berth.
T1
T1 secured their Masters Santiago spot with a decisive 3-0 sweep over Rex Regum Qeon at the VCT Pacific 2026 Kickoff. Despite admitting to minor errors on Abyss, duelist BuZz remained practical, stating, "overall, a win is a win." He also credited new IGL Munchkin for his superior map reading and anticipation compared to previous leaders. With fellow Korean squad Nongshim Red Force also qualifying, T1 seems confident heading into Santiago, asserting that they are ready to face any international opponent regardless of the matchup.
Paper Rex
The "Princes of Pacific" have successfully salvaged their VCT Kickoff campaign, defeating Rex Regum Qeon 3-1 to claim the region's final seed for Masters Santiago. Despite a scare that saw Paper Rex relegated early, the team clutched up and went on an incredible lower bracket gauntlet, eliminating Global Esports, DRX, and DFM before today's decider.
The victory was powered by a monstrous performance from f0rsaken, who went ballistic with 101 kills over four maps. While PRX looked shaky throughout the tournament, this dominant showing against RRQ restores faith that they can replicate their lethal form when they land in Chile.
VCT EMEA:
BBL Esports
BBL Esports have completed a historic undefeated run to become VCT EMEA Kickoff Upper Bracket Champions. In a grueling Best-of-5 finale against Gentle Mates, the Turkish squad proved their resilience, trading maps before sealing victory on Corrode to clinch the series.
This win secures BBL as EMEA’s first seed for Masters Santiago, earning them a direct bye to the Playoffs. Rising from the Premier circuit to the Tier 1 stage, the former PCIFIC core has stunned giants like Fnatic and Vitality. Now, the rookies head to Chile poised to test their mettle on their first international stage.
Gentle Mates
Gentle Mates have officially qualified for VALORANT Masters Santiago, securing the second EMEA seed after a monumental victory over Fnatic. Rebounding from a heartbreaking five-map loss to BBL just 24 hours prior, the French squad showed incredible resilience in another grueling Best-of-Five series to lock in their first-ever international appearance.
The win was made even sweeter because of Martin “marteen” Pátek, who delivered a historic performance, shattering the all-time global VCT kill record in a Bo5 with 126 kills. This victory not only books their ticket to Chile but also concludes the longest series in EMEA history, totaling a record-breaking 124 rounds.
VCT Americas:
FURIA
FURIA have completed a stunning redemption arc, defeating the MIBR superteam 3-2 to claim the VCT Americas Kickoff title. After a winless 2025, the revitalized squad outlasted the "aspas dream team" in a five-map thriller before closing it out on Split.
This reworked and reborn FURIA team also completed an unbeaten run to win the first seed from Americas. And they did it quite spectacular fashion. They managed to dispatch KRU, Sentinels, and even Americas three-peat champions, G2 Esports. This qualification also marks the 26th partnered organization out of the original 30 to qualify for an international event.
G2 Esports
Although it was a surprise to not see G2 Esports in the Upper Bracket, their qualification to Santiago was an inevitability. Qualifying from the middle bracket, G2 put on a very dominant show reminiscent of 2025 G2, who managed to complete the Americas three-peat. And this time, they did it against a resurgent MIBR backed by zekken and Aspas.
Qualifying for Santiago also keeps G2’s record alive, now qualifying for six consecutive international tournaments. However, their results in these tournaments have been less than satisfactory. Whether or not they can turn around their luck in South America remains to be seen.
With the Masters Santiago lineup finalized across China, Pacific, EMEA, and the Americas, the stage is set for the first true measuring stick of the 2026 season. From here, the question shifts to who can adapt fastest when regional playbooks collide on LAN in Chile.
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Featured image credit: Riot Games
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