VCT Stage 1 Playoffs: Who Qualified for Masters London 2026?

🔥 Americas: LEVIATÁN and G2 Lock Their Spots

LEVIATÁN came into the playoffs with a clear agenda: return to the global stage for the first time since Champions 2024. They delivered, beating MIBR 2-1 in a three-map grind. Spike (Neon) dominated the deciding Ascent map and was the series' standout fragger.

G2 Esports were cleaner. They swept KRÜ Esports 2-0, with trent landing a clutch 4K on Lotus that effectively closed the map. It's G2's seventh consecutive international event, a streak that reflects just how consistently they show up when it matters.

Both teams will clash in the Americas upper final on May 22 to decide regional seeding at Masters. You can track how this bracket evolved in our full VCT Americas Stage 1 Playoffs breakdown.

🌏 Pacific: Paper Rex Are Running Hot

Paper Rex didn't just qualify, they made a statement. They swept Global Esports 3-0 across Haven, Lotus, and Ascent, with something leading the team on 63 kills. F0rsaken added 57 and Jinggg piled on 54, a complete team demolition, not a single-player carry.

PRX now face FULL SENSE in the Pacific grand final. FULL SENSE earned that spot by beating Global Esports 2-0 in the upper bracket, with primmie posting a 1.41 rating and FULL SENSE's Crws stating after: "Job's not done, I'm not that happy yet." The hunger is real 🔥

Both Pacific teams head to London regardless of who takes first seed. One historic note: Masters London 2026 will be the first global Valorant event with no Korean representation, after T1's elimination knocked out the region's last contender.

🗺️ EMEA: Heretics Claw Back, Vitality Steamroll

Team Heretics secured their London ticket the hard way. They trailed 3-9 on Fracture against Eternal Fire before staging a full comeback to win the map 13-10, then closed the series 2-1. Wo0t was the catalyst, finishing with 64 eliminations across the series.

Team Vitality took the opposite approach: no drama, no deficit. They dismantled FUT Esports 2-1, with Sayonara recording 70 kills throughout the series. Vitality and Heretics now represent EMEA at Masters, and both arrive with clear tactical identities.

📉 Behind the Headlines

FNATIC finished 0-2 in EMEA Stage 1, their first failure to reach a global event in back-to-back stages. The organization then parted ways with head coach Milan, with assistant coach Desmo stepping in as interim while the search for a replacement begins.

In Americas, Cloud9's Xeppaa announced a break from competition after 10 consecutive years of play across CS:GO and Valorant. C9 are trialing replacements ahead of Stage 2. You can read about the recent roster turbulence around Notexxd joining and v1c stepping back earlier this year.

🎯 What to Watch and Learn at Masters London

Paper Rex are the team to study if you play Jett or Yoru in ranked. Something's operator lines on Haven and Jinggg's entry fragging mechanics translate into habits you can build in your own games. Watch how PRX manufacture openings rather than wait for them.

G2 and LEVIATÁN both excel at economy discipline and mid-round adjustment, which is exactly the meta skill set amplified by the latest Neon and shotgun nerfs. Understanding their buy decisions in recorded VODs is better coaching than most guides you'll find online 📺

Play Your Way to the Top

The pros at Masters London all started somewhere online, grinding ranked and competing in the same kind of ladders that are running right now. If you want to test your skills against real competition with real stakes, join the Valorant ladder on Amber.gg.

Think you have what it takes to represent your community? The Amber.gg Ambassadors program is where top players from the ladder start building a name beyond ranked.