The 2026 VALORANT Masters Santiago is scheduled to officially run from March 1 to March 16. Twelve elite teams representing VCT CN, VCT EMEA, VCT Pacific, and VCT Americas will compete for the season's first prestigious Masters trophy.

Masters Santiago features an expanded field of 12 teams and a longer schedule. The tournament is divided into two phases:

The Swiss Stage (March 1–5): Eight teams will battle in a Swiss-style format to secure one of four remaining spots in the playoffs. All matches are Best-of-Three (Bo3).

The Knockout Stage (March 7–16): The 1 seeds from each region's Kickoff event earn a "bye" directly into this stage. This phase utilizes a Double-Elimination bracket. Notably, every victory earns Championship Points, paving the road to the 2026 VALORANT Champions Shanghai.

Emerging from the 2026 VCT CN Kickoff, three teams—AG, XLG, and EDG—will represent the China region in Santiago. EDG will lead the charge in the opening match on March 1 at 01:00 (CST) against the EMEA representative, M8. Shortly after, at 04:00 (CST), XLG will face a monumental challenge against NRG—the reigning champions of the 2025 VALORANT Champions Paris.

Meanwhile, AG has earned the luxury of skipping the Swiss Stage, advancing directly to the Knockouts as the VCT CN No.1 seed. Stands out as one of the most disruptive forces in the tournament. this young roster shattered the regional status quo with aggressive tactical execution, consistent individual mechanics, and remarkable resilience.All eyes are on AG to see if they can continue their "Cinderella story" on the global stage.