VCT Masters Santiago opening matchups set
Eight teams enter the Swiss stage of VALORANT Masters Santiago; four already waiting in playoffs as top seeds
CHILE – Riot Games has revealed the Swiss Stage opening matchups for VALORANT Masters Santiago, the first international event of the season. The eight teams that finished as the #2 and #3 seeds from each region were paired through a live draw at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles, producing four first-round series.
The Swiss Stage begins with Round 1, after which the next round will be drawn immediately once all opening matches conclude. Teams will be grouped based on their record (1-0, 0-1, or 1-1) and face opponents from the same pool. The first teams to reach two wins advance to playoffs, while teams that reach two losses are eliminated. By the end of the Swiss Stage, four teams will move on to playoffs and four teams will be knocked out.
FURIA, All Gamers, BBL Esports, and Nongshim RedForce have already secured playoff berths after finishing as the top seed in their respective regions.
The headline matchup in the opening round is Paper Rex vs G2 Esports, a rivalry that dates back to when G2’s core competed as The Guard, featuring Trent “trent” Cairns and Jacob “valyn” Batio. G2 swept Paper Rex twice in 2024 in Shanghai and Seoul, before the Pacific side returned the favor in 2025 with wins in Toronto, Paris, and Fuzhou. The most recent meeting in Fuzhou featured the same starting five for both teams that will play in Santiago.
Elsewhere, EDward Gaming will face Gentle Mates, one of the breakout teams from EMEA. In their qualification series against FNATIC, Martin “marteen” Pátek set a new BO5 kill record with 126 kills, surpassing Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang’s previous record of 111 from the Champions Seoul Grand Final, although comparisons have sparked debate due to differences in overtimes and KPR.
T1 will meet Team Liquid for the first time in VCT history. Their only prior meeting came in 2023 during the AfreecaTV VALORANT League OFF//SEASON. Last but not least, reigning world champions NRG Esports will take on China’s Xi Lai Gaming.
VALORANT Masters Santiago runs from February 28 to March 15 in Chile. Match dates and start times have yet to be announced.
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