Initiating fights: Best first blood fraggers at Masters Santiago

To get the first blood in a round is a great way to give your team an early advantage. Having players who can secure the first kill is extremely valuable, but getting that opening pick isn’t always easy. While some players maintain a higher success rate, others rack up more first bloods despite a lower success rate.

THESPIKE has looked at the numbers and put together two lists — one featuring the top five players at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026 with the most first bloods (FB) and another highlighting the top five players with the highest First Blood Success Rate (FBSR).

Most First Bloods

Not surprisingly, Duelist players dominate the top five list for most first bloods. While they might not always have the highest success rate, they still give their teams an advantage by securing the opening kill more than other players at the event.

1. mada

85 FB

56% FBSR

Adam "mada" Pampuch on NRG tops the list with 85 first bloods at Masters Santiago. He is the Duelist with the most entries at the event by far and still managed to maintain a 56% success rate, something that’s very difficult to achieve with that volume of entries.

mada played three different Agents: Waylay, Yoru, and Neon. His most impressive playoff performance came against Paper Rex in the Lower Final, where he recorded 22 entries across four maps.

2. something

61 FB

50% FBSR

Ilya "something" Petrov from PRX ranks second with 61 first bloods and a 50% success rate. Like mada, he played three different Duelist Agents, but he also surprised the crowd with a Gekko pick against NRG in the Upper Semifinals. While the Gekko pick didn’t earn him many first bloods, his long experience as a Duelist showed as he consistently opened rounds for his team as the entry fragger.

3. Jinggg

55 FB

48% FBSR

Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie from PRX also makes the list, right behind his teammate with 55 first bloods and a 48% success rate. Jinggg and something are famous for their understanding and mastery of the double Duelist composition, long before it became the current meta. PRX has a long track record as one of the most aggressive teams in the scene, and Jinggg and something demonstrated that perfectly in Santiago. Both players often dive in headfirst and secure the opening picks for their team.

4. f0rsaken

50 FB

46% FBSR

Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto is the third PRX player on the list, finishing with 50 first bloods and a 46% success rate. f0rsakeN played seven different Agents at Santiago and managed to secure first bloods on all of them, highlighting his adaptability as an IGL.

The fact that three out of five players on PRX appear here shows just how willing they are to take fights. Taking risks to secure the first blood is something PRX is known for. It can win them rounds, but it also comes with significant risk.

5. jawgemo

49 FB

47% FBSR

In fifth place is Alexander "jawgemo" Mor from G2 Esports with 49 first bloods. He finished with a 47% success rate and only played Duelist Agents. He is one of the Duelists who doesn’t prefer Waylay in today’s compositions. Instead, he utilizes Iso and Phoenix alongside Neon. He has also moved away from Yoru but continues to act as the primary entry fragger for his team. While his support player Trent "trent" Cairns had a higher success rate at 59%, jawgemo were still the one to take more entries with him before going down.

Highest FBSR

While Duelists dominate the list for total first bloods, support players lead the rankings when it comes to First Blood Success Rate, winning the majority of their opening duels. Even though they may not have as many entries as their teammates, their success rate highlights their consistency in winning key fights.

1. Xross

80% FBSR

16 FB

The player with the highest FBSR is Jung "Xross" Hwan from Nongshim RedForce. The squad dominated the event and ultimately took home the Masters title, with Xross playing a key role. Santiago was Xross’s debut on the international stage, and he did not disappoint. With an 80% FBSR across 16 first bloods, he consistently won his opening duels. At the event, he played Sova and Fade, gathering information and capitalizing on it to secure picks.

2. eeiu

68% FBSR

13 FB

Another Initiator with a high FBSR is Daniel "eeiu" Vucenovic from FURIA. He finished the event with a 68% FBSR and 13 first bloods, playing the same Agents as Xross — Sova and Fade. eeiu recorded the second-most first bloods on FURIA but maintained the highest success rate on the team. He also tops many other leaderboards having high ACS and rating overall.

3. Munchkin

62% FBSR

13 FB

Byeon "Munchkin" Sang-beom from T1 had the third-highest success rate at 62%, also finishing with 13 first bloods. 2026 is going to be his fourth year in the VCT and he is not slowing down. Munchkin is the only player on this top five list who exclusively played Controller Agents, appearing on Omen, Brimstone, and Viper. While his teammate Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul secured more first bloods overall, Munchkin won a higher percentage of his duels.

4. Ivy

61% FBSR

19 FB

In fourth place with a 61% FBSR is Park "Ivy" Sung-hyeon from Nongshim RedForce. He is the second NS player on the list after Xross and recorded 19 entry frags. While Xross played Initiators, Ivy secured his entries on both Controllers and Sentinels, playing Viper, Astra, Cypher, and Killjoy. On NS, the Duelist players Lee "Dambi" Hyuk-kyu and Kim "Francis" Mu-bin recorded more first bloods than Ivy and Xross but with significantly lower success rates.

5. Keiko

59% FBSR

45 FB

Georgio "Keiko" Sanassy from NRG is the player on this list who combines a high FBSR with a large number of first bloods. He finished with a 59% FBSR and 45 entries. He also had the most diverse agent pool, playing Controllers, Sentinels, and Duelists. Keiko proved himself to be one of the best flex players at the event as he was able to help his team secure opening picks on Jett and Raze while also outdueling opponents on Omen and Viper.

Conclusion

While the Duelists racked up the highest number of first bloods, with mada leading the way at 85, it was the Initiators and flex players who finished the event with the highest success rates. One way to look at it is that when the Duelists fail to secure the entry, the Initiators are often there to back them up. In the end, teamwork is what gives a team the true advantage.

For more VALORANT next, stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG.

Featured image source: Shannon Cottrell/Riot Games.