Masters Santiago Swiss Draw: High-Stakes Matchups Set for Opening Round

The stage is set for VCT Masters Santiago 2026, and the opening round of the Swiss Stage will deliver compelling matchups following an on-stage draw after the VCT Americas Kickoff Lower Final. Eight teams now know their fates as they compete for four coveted playoff spots at Espacio Riesco from February 28 to March 4.

Masters Santiago Opening Round Draw

The draw followed strict rules: #2 seeds from Pool A faced #3 seeds from Pool B, with no regional matchups allowed in the opening round. The resulting matchups delivered both fresh meetings and familiar rivalries.

Key First-Round Clashes

Perhaps most intriguing is Gentle Mates versus EDward Gaming, pitting the new VCT best-of-five kills record holders against each other. Martin “marteen” Pátek and Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang will battle in what promises to be a firepower showcase.

Meanwhile, T1 and Team Liquid meet for the first time in VCT history, after both teams qualified with dominant 3-0 performances against RRQ and FNATIC respectively. Xi Lai Gaming versus NRG represents another fresh matchup, testing NRG against China’s third seed.

In contrast, the fourth opening game is a familiar one, with G2 Esports versus Paper Rex: a rivalry spanning four international events since Masters Shanghai, where there is one difference between the two veteran squads; PRX has a VCT international trophy to their name while G2 doesn’t, making this rematch compelling despite, or because of, its frequency.

What’s at Stake

With $1,000,000 USD in prize money, Masters Santiago represents the first major international tournament of 2026. The tournament marks the second international VALORANT competition in Latin America and the first ever in Chile, bringing together twelve teams from the Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China regions.

As February 28 approaches, questions abound: can Gentle Mates translate their EMEA dominance internationally despite limited recent experience? Will G2-PRX deliver another classico? And can the Chinese representatives prove their region’s depth? The Swiss Stage will soon provide answers.

The 12 teams headed to #VALORANTMasters Santiago are locked! pic.twitter.com/Uf8S5RV4O5

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) February 16, 2026

Swiss Stage Format Explained

Masters Santiago adopts the proven Swiss Stage format for its #2 and #3 regional seeds. Teams battle through best-of-three matches with a straightforward rule: win two matches to advance to playoffs, lose two matches and your tournament ends.

The four victorious teams will join regional champions FURIA, BBL Esports, Nongshim RedForce, and All Gamers in the double-elimination playoff bracket running March 6-15. The top seeds will pick their opponents from Swiss Stage survivors in random order, marking a strategic element that rewards strong Kickoff performances.