Qualified Teams for VALORANT Masters London 2026, Format and Storylines

As the second Masters event of the 2026 season, Masters London is a crucial milestone for the VALORANT Champions Tour teams aiming to secure a spot at Champions Shanghai, set to take place in China from late September onward. Before that, the next major stop for Riot Games’ FPS esports scene will be in the English capital from June 6 to 21, featuring the twelve best teams from Stage 1 of their respective regional leagues. Alongside a total prize pool of $1 million, including $350,000 for the winners, this LAN will also give qualified teams the opportunity to face different playstyles and collect valuable points for the rest of the season.

Regarding the format, there are no surprises, as it remains identical to the one used at Masters Santiago, the first international LAN of 2026. Across each of the four VCT regions, EMEA, Pacific, China, and Americas, three teams qualified for London, with staggered starts depending on seeding. Teams that qualified as second and third seeds will begin in the Swiss Stage before hoping to join the first seeds directly in playoffs.

During this first phase, eight organizations will compete in Bo3 matches through a Swiss format to claim the four available playoff spots. As is now standard in VALORANT competitive formats, the Masters London playoffs will feature a lower bracket leading up to the grand final on June 21.

After finishing fifth at Kickoff, Dragon Ranger Gaming managed to secure the third and final qualifying spot for Masters London in VCT CN. Led in particular by an ever-impactful Ilya "vo0kashu" Ushakov, DRG found their way through the Stage 1 playoffs despite an inconsistent group stage that ended with a 3-2 record. Defeated by EDward Gaming in their opening playoff match, the Chinese squad bounced back with three consecutive lower bracket victories against Trace Esports, JD Gaming and All Gamers to secure qualification. AG, despite being China’s first seed at Masters Santiago, will therefore miss the event in England after falling just short of the top three.

Already qualified for Santiago, EDward Gaming and Xi Lai Gaming will both return in London. The two organizations share a similar situation, as their previous international campaign ended in disappointment with a shared Top 11-12 finish. Eliminated in the Swiss Stage without winning a single map, both teams will likely be eager to deliver a much stronger performance in England.

After more than three seasons without success, Global Esports has finally qualified for its first Masters event. Having joined VCT Pacific in 2023 at the launch of the partnership system, the Indian organization was until recently still one of the four original VCT-partnered teams yet to attend an international LAN. That is no longer the case following this Split 1 qualification, during which GE also secured its first-ever VCT Pacific playoffs appearance.

Alongside the surprise qualification of Global Esports, FULL SENSE also secured a spot at Masters London despite only joining VCT Pacific this season. While the organization itself is new to the league, the Thai players had already been competing together in 2025 under TALON before the project collapsed. The core trio of Thanamethk "Crws" Mahatthananuyut, Jittana "JitboyS" Nokngam, and Papaphat "Primmie" Sriprapha will only be attending the second international LAN of their careers. After qualifying for Champions Seoul 2024, they will return to international competition on June 6 in England.

FUT Esports, another Turkish organization, has secured its return to international LAN competition for the first time since Champions 2024. Dominant throughout the group stage, FUT only needed a playoff victory against compatriots Eternal Fire to confirm qualification. Team Vitality also had a tense Stage 1 campaign but will still attend London, marking the organization’s return to Masters competition more than a year after its previous appearance and the first LAN qualification for Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu in his very first split at this level.

Respectively, the first and third seeds from VCT EMEA at Masters Santiago, BBL Esports and Team Liquid, will not attend London for the second international LAN of the season. Despite reaching the winner bracket during the Stage 1 playoffs after a strong group stage, TL suffered back-to-back losses against two French organizations, first Team Vitality and then Gentle Mates, ultimately being eliminated in the first lower bracket round. The same fate hit BBL Esports, although the Turkish squad did not benefit from a winner bracket start following a difficult opening stage of the split.