VCT Masters Santiago Power Rankings

This Saturday, February 28, the first international VALORANT tournament of 2026 will begin: Masters Santiago. In total, twelve teams will travel to Chile to compete at Espacio Riesco. The road to Champions Shanghai also officially gets underway, with points awarded for each win, but above all to the five best-placed teams.

Teams qualified as Seeds 2 and 3 will have to face each other in a group stage, while the Seed 1 teams from each region have been directly qualified for the playoffs. Eight teams will start in the group stage, but only four will secure a place in the playoffs.

Among the participants are new faces such as Adrian “invy” Jiggs Reyes, newly arrived organisations like the French team Gentle Mates, and more established teams that will experience the international stage for the first time at this Masters, such as FURIA, after their unexpected run at the VCT Americas Kickoff 2026, or NongShim RedForce, led by veteran Goo “Rb” Sang-min as he guides his teammates onto the international scene. Ten teams will compete for the trophy, but only one will succeed T1, champions of the first Masters in 2025.

For this first international event of the season, G2 Esports emerge as one of—if not the—leading favorites of the competition. Although they enter as the second seed from the Americas region, G2 remain no less dominant than they were last year, having produced a flawless run through the middle bracket. With the addition of Andrej “babybay” Francisty, the team appears poised once again to pursue its first international VCT title. At last year’s opening Masters event in Bangkok, G2 narrowly fell 3–2 in a memorable grand final against T1.

From the VCL to the Masters in the span of just a few months, BBL Esports arrive on the international stage for the first time in the organization’s history, intent on making an immediate impact. Impressive throughout their Kickoff campaign—culminating in an upper-bracket final victory over Gentle Mates after five maps—the Turkish side positions itself as a serious contender. Their distinctly aggressive playstyle could unsettle several opponents who may not be fully prepared to contend with its pace and intensity.

The reigning Masters champions in Toronto return once more to enter the fray. Since the launch of the VCT Pacific league in 2023, Paper Rex have missed only a single international event, doing so last year. Yet, as with each of their appearances, underestimating the Singaporean-Indonesian team would be ill-advised. With four consecutive victories in the lower bracket, PRX have demonstrated that they still possess the credentials required to contend with the world’s elite.

Defeated in their opening match of the VCT Pacific Kickoff by Nongshim RedForce, T1 subsequently put together an unbroken run through the middle bracket to secure the second seed from their region. Winners of the Masters Bangkok at this same stage last year, the storied Korean organization displayed a notably solid level throughout the Kickoff, culminating in a commanding victory over Rex Regum Qeon. With the recent addition of Byeon “Munchkin” Sang-beom to the lineup, T1 appear to have found renewed impetus as they seek to assert themselves once again on the international stage.

Expectations surrounding the Pacific region are particularly high at this event, to the extent that its three representatives occupy the upper tier of our rankings. Nongshim RedForce stand out as the early-season surprise. The team will compete in its first international tournament as the region’s first seed after remaining undefeated in the upper bracket, notably overcoming both T1 and RRQ. Whether the players will withstand the pressure of their inaugural international appearance remains to be seen, but they appear, at the very least, well-equipped for the occasion.

Narrowly defeated by BBL Esports in the upper bracket, Gentle Mates will also contest the first international event in the organization’s history. Retaining four players from last year’s roster, M8 delivered an impressive display by reverse sweeping Fnatic to secure qualification, propelled by a standout Martin “marteen” Pátek. His current form positions the French organization as a credible outsider heading into the tournament.

Another early-season surprise from the Americas region is FURIA. Frequently criticized in recent years for inconsistent results and repeated rebuilds, FURIA have now silenced much of that skepticism with a revamped lineup featuring five new players. The team successively defeated Sentinels, G2 Esports, and Made In Brazil (MIBR) to claim the top seed in their region. Led by an in-form GianFranco “koalanoob” Potestio, FURIA will look to validate their Kickoff performance against the world’s strongest opposition.

As each region appears to have produced its own unexpected contender, VCT China is no exception, sending All Gamers as its first seed. Like several of their counterparts, AG had never previously competed on the international stage and now find themselves in the spotlight following the arrival of three rookies, including Russian player Roman “f4ngeer” Smirnov, who impressed throughout the Kickoff. The step up to international competition may prove demanding, yet the Chinese side has already demonstrated resilience and an ability to defy expectations, notably against DRG and XLG.

The reigning world champions will also be present in Santiago. Having secured qualification through a reverse sweep over MIBR in the lower bracket, NRG nevertheless arrive intent on defending their status as the world’s top team. With one change to last year’s lineup and the addition of Georgio “keiko” Sanassy, the roster required a brief adjustment period, though their qualification was never seriously jeopardized. NRG remain a team to monitor closely and could yet disrupt the established hierarchy of favorites.

After encountering early difficulties in the Kickoff, Team Liquid gradually refined their coordination and stylistic identity, building momentum as the tournament progressed. With five consecutive victories in the lower bracket—including a decisive 3–0 over Fnatic—Liquid benefited significantly from the contributions of their recent additions, notably Wayne “wayne” Chang and Dominykas “MiniBoo” Lukaševičius, positioning TL as a potential dark horse at these Masters.

*NRG and Team Liquid finished with the same average; however, NRG got the highest position (4th place) across the various rankings and is therefore ranked ahead of Team Liquid.

Despite a narrow defeat to All Gamers, Xi Lai Gaming secured their place in Santiago as the second seed from China. Regular participants in international competition since the Masters Toronto last year, XLG continue to seek a breakthrough on the global stage and more definitive results. Still spearheaded by Teng “happywei” Min-wei—widely regarded as one of, if not the, region’s finest players—XLG will aim to establish themselves more firmly among the world’s elite.

Although the Champions 2024 winners no longer project the same dominance as before, EDward Gaming have nonetheless maintained their presence at international events. By mounting a lower-bracket run that culminated in victory over Bilibili Gaming, EDG secured the final seed from their region. While the team may appear less formidable than some of its rivals, its experience at this level should not be underestimated, as it may well prove capable of unsettling more complacent opponents.