VALORANT Masters Santiago: Ultimate viewer's guide

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026 is the first international stop of the new VCT season, bringing 12 elite teams to Chile for 16 days of high-stakes action, bold predictions, and even on-site competition for fans.

Tournament Overview

Masters Santiago runs from February 28 to March 15, 2026 in Santiago, Chile, serving as the first global event of the 2026 VCT season. Twelve teams qualified via their regional Kickoff tournaments and will compete for prestige, Championship Points, and an early edge on the road to Champions.

The event is split into two stages: a Swiss Stage followed by a double-elimination Playoffs bracket. Across both phases, every match carries weight, with just eight teams reaching the Playoffs and only one lifting the trophy in Santiago.

Participating Teams

Masters Santiago features three teams each from the four international VCT leagues: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. First seeds earned a direct berth into Playoffs, while the second and third seeds have to fight through the Swiss Stage.

• VCT Americas: FURIA, G2 Esports, NRG
• VCT EMEA: BBL Esports, Gentle Mates, Team Liquid
• VCT Pacific: Nongshim RedForce, T1, Paper Rex
• VCT China: All Gamers, XLG Esports, EDward Gaming

Format, Schedule, and Match Structure

Masters Santiago unfolds over 16 days with a short mid-event break.

• Swiss Stage: February 28 – March 4
• Break: March 5
• Playoffs: March 6 – 15

Match timings have been divided into two slots. Slot 1 begins from 18:00 CET, while Slot 2 begins from 19:00 CET. Refer to the graphic below for more details:

Swiss Stage

The 2nd and 3rd seeds from each league begin in a Swiss bracket. Every match is best-of-3, and teams advance to Playoffs by reaching two wins, while two losses mean elimination.

Playoffs

The four Swiss survivors join the four regional first seeds, forming an eight-team double-elimination bracket. Most matches are best-of-3, with the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final being best-of-5 to decide the Masters champion.

On-Site Skirmish Tournament for Fans

Riot is adding a unique twist for the live audience in Santiago with an on-site Skirmish tournament series. Skirmish is a pure 1v1 aim duel mode on a small map where players spawn with Heavy Armor, pick any weapon, and fight without abilities; the first to 10 rounds wins, with games lasting roughly 5–10 minutes.

Across four days, there will be four single-elimination qualifiers per day, each featuring 16 players and running about an hour. Winners of each qualifier earn prizes including two tickets to Masters Santiago on March 14 and a slot in the Final Tournament, which is a 32-player double-elimination bracket (16 qualifiers plus creators and invited players) to be played on the VCT stage on March 14.

The Skirmish qualifiers are scheduled for March 4, 6, 9, and 13, with on-site registration and check-in windows preceding each of the four daily brackets. Tournament communication and bracket updates will be handled via Discord, and organizers may adjust capacity and format based on turnout to keep the experience smooth for both competitors and fans.

Pick’Ems are Back

Masters Santiago also brings back Pick’Ems powered by AWS, letting fans predict results across both the Swiss Stage and Playoffs for in-game rewards. You’ll need a Riot account, and participation availability depends on regional laws, with certain territories such as China, Cuba, Iran, and others excluded.

When to Lock In Picks

• Swiss Stage Pick’Ems: Open February 19 at 18:00 CET and lock on February 28 at 19:00 CET, just before the first matches begin.
• Playoffs Pick’Ems: Open on March 5 around 01:00 CET after the draw and close on March 6 at 19:00 CET before Playoffs start.

Missing a deadline means you can’t submit picks for that stage, so it’s worth setting reminders if you’re chasing top-tier rewards.

Pick’Ems Rewards

Rewards scale based on how accurately your bracket performs.

• All participants: “Cachando todo” title for making at least one pick.
• Top 50%: “¡Rico, po!” gun buddy.
• Top 20%: Golden “Pick’Ems Master: ¡Rico, po!” gun buddy.
• Perfect bracket: “Perfect” title for predicting every result across both stages.

Prizes are automatically granted after the tournament concludes, provided your region is eligible.

Masters Santiago will also include Shotcall, a live Twitch extension that lets you predict upcoming moments during official VCT streams. Make real-time calls on maps, rounds, and clutch plays, rack up points for accurate reads, and climb a global leaderboard. Shotcall is available on desktop through the Twitch extension.

How and Where to Watch

Every Masters Santiago match will be streamed live in English on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok on the official VALORANT Esports channels.

With all that in mind, the only thing left is to pick a favorite and clear your schedule for Santiago. Are you more excited to grind Pick’Ems from home, or would you rather line up for that on-site Skirmish bracket?

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image Source: Riot Games