Newcomers vs veterans: VALORANT Masters Santiago Swiss Stage predictions

The primary international VCT occasion of the 12 months, VALORANT Masters Santiago, is correct across the nook, promising three weeks of high-tier gameplay and unpredictable outcomes.

Kicking off on February twenty eighth, Masters Santiago’s Swiss Stage will see two groups from each VCT area (EMEA, Americas, Pacific and China) compete for one of many 4 coveted spots within the Playoffs bracket.

With a world trophy and $1m (~£740,000) in complete prize cash on the road, rookie groups must be resilient, whereas veterans look to defend rising legacies. Esports Insider breaks down the upcoming VALORANT Masters Santiago Swiss Stage, and which groups are almost certainly to make it out alive.

Triple VCT Americas 2025 champion G2 Esports is, maybe surprisingly, heading to Chile because the area’s second seed.

Final 12 months, G2 rose to new regional heights and established itself because the strongest crew in VCT Americas by a big margin. Nonetheless, regardless of Masters Santiago being the organisation’s eighth international VCT occasion, G2 has but to carry a world trophy.

In 2025, the roster scored a second-place end at Masters Bangkok, a fourth-place end at Masters Toronto, and an early Playoffs elimination at Champions Paris.

For the 2026 VCT season, the crew made a considerably controversial roster transfer, changing long-standing member Jonah ‘JonahP’ Pulice with Andrej ‘babybay’ Francist. Babybay had beforehand joined G2 as a stand-in for Nathan ‘leaf’ Orf and exceeded expectations due to his agent flexibility and excessive vitality.

Because the area’s shining star, G2 went into VCT Americas Kickoff with excessive expectations. Nonetheless, already in its second match of the season, G2 suffered a 1-2 upset by the hands of FURIA, shedding the area’s first seed at Masters Santiago.

Though the crew now has to begin its Masters Santiago journey within the Swiss Stage, G2’s center bracket run at Kickoff additionally showcased its means diversify its playbook when obligatory. As uncovered by FURIA, G2’s signature methodical macro gameplay has change into outdated within the new, fast-paced meta.

Consequently, G2 determined to revamp its playstyle, together with new crew compositions and riskier gameplay to outlive the center bracket. With this newfound identification, the VCT veteran is extra prone to succeed in opposition to the chaotic rookie groups at Masters Santiago, granting G2 one other shot at worldwide redemption.

VALORANT Masters Santiago, and significantly its Swiss Stage, might be thought-about some of the troublesome brackets to foretell in VCT historical past.

It is because many rookie rosters throughout the 4 VCT Kickoff occasions have efficiently leaned into their firepower and distinctive macro approaches to upset greater names inside the areas. Americas crew FURIA dethroned G2 Esports, China’s All Players upset Bilibili Gaming and XLG Esports, and the brand new BBL Esports line-up brushed previous EMEA large Fnatic.

Consequently, many of those large names are actually headed to the Swiss Stage at Masters Santiago. Champions winners like NRG and EDward Gaming will conflict with Masters Bangkok and Masters Toronto champions Paper Rex and T1, respectively, forming an extremely stacked bracket.

Moreover, a few of the much less constant groups, similar to Staff Liquid and XLG Esports, have already confirmed to subvert expectations and might be trying to do the identical in Santiago. With this in thoughts, virtually each match on this Swiss Stage looks like a coin flip, making it nigh not possible for followers and analysts to foretell which groups will advance to the Playoffs.

Regardless of being launched throughout VCT OFF//SEASON, VALORANT’s Patch 11.08 was a serious meta shift that grew to become distinguished in professional play throughout VCT Kickoff 4 months later. Many EMEA and Americas groups that had beforehand relied on gradual and diligent macro gameplay, in addition to double-initiator comps, have been compelled to do an entire technique overhaul.

Patch 11.08 massively decreased agent utility while making staple sentinels, similar to Killjoy, Vyse and Cypher, close to unviable aside from sure maps and area of interest playstyles.

With conventional sentinels much less viable and flash-initiators already weak, a brand new fast-paced, gunplay-focused meta was born throughout Kickoff, dominated by double-controller and double-duelist crew compositions. 

The VCT Pacific area, nevertheless, has at all times leaned into the firepower of people and the chaos of quick set methods. For instance, groups like Paper Rex and T1 had used double-duelist comps method earlier than it grew to become meta. After years of criticism relating to Pacific’s macro methodology and self-discipline, the area’s signature playstyle is now being adopted by the remainder of the VCT world.

The three Pacific representatives at Masters Santiago, Nonghsim RedForce, T1 and Paper Rex, have the potential to dominate within the new international meta.

Curiously, one other area that would profit from the 2026 meta shift is China. Chinese language groups like All Players and EDward Gaming would possibly simply be capable of offset subpar macro fundamentals with excellent particular person expertise to upset in any other case favoured opponents.

The Swiss Stage at VALORANT Masters Santiago will happen from February twenty eighth till March 4th, that includes eight VCT groups:

The highest 4 rising groups will then advance to the Playoffs to satisfy the 4 regional first seeds, BBL Esports, FURIA, Nongshim RedForce and All Players.

So, which groups will stroll away from the Swiss Stage victorious?

EMEA Ascension crew Light Mates will begin its Swiss Stage journey with a beneficial match-up in opposition to Chinese language consultant EDward Gaming (EDG).

Since lifting the VALORANT Champions trophy two years in the past, EDG has struggled to discover a worthy alternative for former member Hsieh ‘S1Mon’ Meng-hsun and alter to the brand new Yoru meta.

In the meantime, Light Mates fields the lethal duelist duo of Taranvir ‘bipo’ Singh and Martin ‘marteen’ Pátek, which receives supportive firepower from the roster’s high-fragging controller/flex gamers Patrik ‘Minny’ Hušek and Conner ‘GLYPH’ Garcia.

Light Mates’ greatest weak spot is that its comparatively younger roster, led by an inexperienced in-game chief (IGL) in Patryk ‘starxo’ Kopczyński, is extra prone to psychological stress. However so long as starxo’s easy calling type gained’t be examined by enemy IGLs, the French crew may emerge from the Swiss Stage undefeated.

Day two at Masters Santiago will kick off with an iconic worldwide match-up between Americas consultant G2 Esports and Pacific’s Paper Rex. These two groups have confronted off in opposition to one another throughout numerous VCT international occasions, with Paper Rex taking the victory more often than not.

While this match-up is traditionally labelled as a conflict of playstyles, this time round, G2 will possible persist with its not too long ago adopted fast-paced look. The Americas roster has additionally utilised a few of Paper Rex’s Phoenix crew compositions, which ought to give Paper Rex a slight edge within the upcoming battle.

On the flipside, G2’s opponent has had a gradual begin to the VCT 2026 season, having to shine its decision-making to barely survive within the decrease bracket at Pacific Kickoff. Furthermore, Paper Rex has but to unlock the complete potential of its new signing, Adrian ‘invy’ Reyes.

Though both G2 or Paper Rex will inevitably undergo a loss on the very starting of their Masters Santiago run, each rosters are nonetheless thought-about favourites to safe a Playoffs spot.

Compared, reigning VALORANT Champion and Americas’ third seed NRG has already been punished for taking part in off-meta comps. With out its greatest hypeman Sam ‘s0m’ Oh, it is going to be troublesome — albeit not not possible — for NRG to outlive such a stacked Swiss Stage.

Just like different legacy organisations throughout VCT, T1 had some bother discovering its footing at Kickoff. Along with the huge meta shift, the Korean crew additionally needed to alter to its new teaching employees, in addition to Byeon ‘Munchkin’ Sang-beom changing into T1’s new IGL.

Its most up-to-date regional performances, although, gave a glimpse into T1’s unbelievable excessive ability ceiling. Specifically, Ham ‘iZu’ Woo-Joo impressed the VCT crowd with lethal precision in his new Yoru position. Fellow duelist participant Yu ‘BuZz’ Byung-chul additionally has the firepower to take over video games for the crew.

Until its first Swiss Stage opponent, Staff Liquid, can break T1’s psychological and pull off one other miracle like within the VCT EMEA Kickoff match versus Fnatic, T1 ought to be arrange for victory, and just one extra win away from Playoffs qualification.

To seek out out which Swiss Stage groups ascend to the Playoffs at VALORANT Masters Santiago, followers can tune into the occasion’s official Twitch and YouTube broadcasts.