VALORANT Masters Santiago is the first international tournament of 2026. The top 12 teams from the VALORANT Champions Tour Leagues will be taking part in this tournament. With the title of becoming the champions of VALORANT Masters Santiago and a $1 million prize pool, there is a lot at stake in the upcoming tournament. Here is everything you need to know about VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026.
For more Valorant betting odds see this page.
| Event | Valorant Masters Santiago |
| Dates | February 28 – March 15, 2026 |
| Location | Espacio Riesco Arena, Santiago, Chile |
| Total Prize Pool | $1,000,000 USD |
| Winner’s Share | $350,000 + 6 Championship Points |
| Number of Teams | 12 (Top 3 from each VCT League) |
| Swiss Stage | Feb 28 – March 4 (8 teams: 2nd & 3rd seeds) |
| Playoffs Stage | March 6 – March 15 (8 teams: 1st seeds + 4 Swiss qualifiers) |
| Format | Swiss Stage (Bo3) → Double-Elimination Bracket (Bo3/Bo5) |
VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 will take place between February 28 and March 15. It will be the first international tournament in the 2026 season. The tournament will be hosted at the Espacio Riesco Arena in Santiago, Chile. 12 teams from the four regional VCT Leagues will be facing off against each other in this tournament. Teams will secure qualification by finishing in the top three spots in their respective regional VCT Leagues. Based on their seeding, they will receive a spot either in the Swiss Stage or the Playoffs stage of the tournament.
Image via Riot Games/Valorant Esports
Below is a list of all top Valorant teams that qualified for VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026:
CN
Pacific
Americas
EMEA
The team that will be crowned as the champion will receive a prize of $350,000. Teams that finish in the top 6 places will receive Championship points based on their ranking in the tournament. The team in first place will receive 6 points, while the runner-up and third place will receive 4 and 3 points, respectively. These points will be crucial for teams as having more championship points will help them qualify for VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026.
We’ve classified these teams in favorites, underdogs and dark horses. Read our analysis of the teams at Masters Santiago.
Valorant Masters Santiago trophy. Image @ValorantEsports on X
The winner of VALORANT Masters Santiago will receive a sum of $350,000 & six Championship points. These championship points will be crucial in helping teams get one step closer to qualifying for VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026.
| Placing | Prize | VCT Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | $350,000 | 6 |
| 2nd | $200,000 | 4 |
| 3rd | $125,000 | 3 |
| 4th | $75,000 | 2 |
| 5th – 6th | $50,000 | 1 |
| 7th – 8th | $35,000 | – |
| 9th – 10th | $25,000 | – |
| 11th – 12th | $15,000 | – |
The tournament will be taking place in two phases: the Swiss Stage and the Playoffs Stage.
The Swiss stage will take place from February 28 to March 4. It will consist of eight VALORANT teams. These teams will be the second and third seeds from the four regional VALORANT leagues.
There will be a total of 10 matches in this phase, allowing fans a lot of opportunity for VALORANT betting on multiple Masters matches on a given day. The top four teams from the Swiss stage will qualify for the playoffs phase. The bottom four teams will be eliminated from the tournament. Below is the first round of fixtures of VALORANT Masters Santiago:
This will be the first time we see the two dynasties in Esports: T1 and Team Liquid finally face off against each other in VALORANT. G2 Esports will be facing off against Paper Rex for the 5th time at an international tournament while Xi Lai Gaming will face off against the VALORANT Champions 2025 winners NRG Esports for the time in VCT.
The playoff stage of the tournament will take place from March 6 to March 15. Teams that are the first seed of the four respective VCT Leagues will receive a direct bye to this phase of the tournament. The draw for the playoff stage will take place following the completion of the Swiss Stage.
One would be able to see the top teams in VALORANT Esports face off against each other and become familiar with them. Using that information, one will be able to place better bets in future VALORANT tournaments.
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