The Swiss stage of VALORANT Masters Santiago concluded on March 5th, determining the four teams that advanced to the tournament’s playoff stage.Among those progressing was Paper Rex, which finished the stage undefeated, while T1 was eliminated after losing its deciding match against G2 Esports. The playoffs are set to begin on March 7th at Espacio Riesco in Santiago, Chile. Organised by Riot Games — the developer and publisher of tactical shooter VALORANT — Masters Santiago features teams from the game’s international leagues competing for a major international title.

T1 eliminated after deciding loss to G2 Esports

T1 began its Masters Santiago campaign with a 0–2 defeat against Team Liquid on March 2nd. Despite losing the opening map, T1 pushed the series to a tense conclusion in the second. Strong performances from Kim ‘stax’ Gu-taek and Ham ‘iZu’ Woo-joo helped the team force overtime after a 12–12 tie. However, Team Liquid maintained composure in overtime and secured the series victory.

Facing elimination, T1 then encountered Edward Gaming (EDG) in its next match. The Korean organisation delivered a dominant response, opening the series with a 13–1 victory before closing the match 2–0 to remain in contention. T1’s tournament run ended on March 5th after a loss to G2 Esports in the deciding qualification match. After falling behind early in the series, T1 appeared close to forcing a third map after building an eight-round lead in the second map.

G2 Esports mounted a comeback in the second half, eventually forcing overtime at 12–12. The momentum shift carried through overtime, allowing G2 to secure the win and eliminate T1 from the tournament with a 1–2 record.

Paper Rex advances through Swiss stage undefeated

Paper Rex secured its playoff berth earlier in the week after winning both of its Swiss stage matches. The team opened the tournament on March 2nd with a 2–0 victory against G2 Esports. Khalish ‘d4v41’ Rusyaidee and Jason ‘f0rsakeN’ Susanto played key roles in the win, with the team maintaining control in a closely contested first map before carrying momentum into the second.

Paper Rex followed that result with a series against North American team NRG on March 3rd. Both teams secured wins on their respective map picks, sending the match to a deciding map. Paper Rex established an early lead and managed to maintain its advantage despite a late comeback attempt from NRG, ultimately winning the series 2–1 to complete the Swiss stage undefeated.

Playoffs set to begin with top seeds entering the tournament

Masters Santiago will now move into its playoff stage beginning March 7th. The tournament uses a double-elimination bracket where the four teams that advanced from the Swiss stage will face the No.1 seeds from each of VALORANT’s regional kickoff events. One of the teams entering directly into the playoffs is Nongshim RedForce, the Pacific region’s top seed. The organisation will begin its campaign against Gentle Mates (M8), one of the teams that progressed through the Swiss stage.

Paper Rex will face Brazil’s FURIA in the opening round of the playoffs. Masters Santiago matches are being broadcast on platforms including YouTube and other regional livestream services. Riot Games operates the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), which includes international leagues in Pacific, Americas, EMEA and China. Teams from these leagues qualify for global tournaments such as Masters and the season-ending VALORANT Champions event.