Valorant Masters Santiago is right around the corner. The finest teams from all over the world are traveling to Santiago, Chile. They will compete in the opening Masters tournament of 2026. Pick’Ems are open now, so here are our tips for the best choices to advance from the Swiss Stage.
The start of any esports season is hard to predict. Teams are still getting back into shape. There have been some game balance updates. Data from before helps, but surprises always happen.
That is what makes Pick’Ems so much fun. Here are our choices for the Swiss stage of Valorant Masters Santiago.
Undefeated: T1 (2-0)
We pick the Korean team T1 to go through the Swiss Stage without a loss. They did great in the Pacific Kickoff. They earned second place and beat Paper Rex, another team in Swiss.
Plus, they have an easy first match against Team Liquid. That should give them a strong start. But if Liquid pulls an upset, it would be a big deal.
Gentle Mates (2-0)
Gentle Mates face a tough first game against EDward Gaming. That Chinese team could surprise everyone and win some matches.
Still, Gentle Mates beat most teams in the EMEA Kickoff. They only lost to BBL Esports. Player Martin Marteen Pátek made many big plays. He played at a top level the whole time. EDward Gaming might have trouble stopping him early on. But if they win that one, they could advance too.
G2 (2-1)
G2 has a close first matchup against Paper Rex. Paper Rex did well in Pacific. It is a good battle between the teams.
The game could go to either side. But G2, as the number two seed from Americas, should win. Even if they lose, G2 can beat almost anyone else in Swiss.
Paper Rex (2-1)
No matter the result against G2, Paper Rex will reach Playoffs. There might be a surprise in later rounds when a team is 0-1 or 1-1. But both teams are too strong to miss out.
We expect both to make it to Playoffs, whatever happens in their match.
Like any tournament, no one knows for sure what will happen. The current world champs NRG might get hot. EDward Gaming could grab the wins to shine on the big stage.
With Valorant in South America for the first time, expect plenty of thrills and surprises.
