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March 15 is the biggest day in competitive Valorant this year — and not just because the Masters Santiago Grand Final crowns Stage 1's best team. At halftime, Riot is dropping the first live gameplay reveal of Agent 30, the mysterious Radiant from Zagreb. One match to rule Stage 1, one reveal to shake up the meta. Here's everything you need to know before the weekend.
VCT Masters Santiago 2026
It's been a brutal week of Valorant in Chile. Eight teams entered the playoff bracket, and after days of double-elimination warfare, only two are left standing to contest the trophy on March 15.
NRG arrived in Santiago as the hunted. The 2025 World Champions came in with the biggest target in the tournament on their backs — and they've lived up to every bit of the hype. Their run through the bracket has been ice-cold: defeating BBL Esports 2–1 in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, then dismantling Paper Rex 2–0 in the Semifinals on maps that were closer than the scoreline suggests (Pearl 14–12, Bind 13–11). Both maps could have gone either way at multiple points, but NRG's preparation and read on PRX's style showed in the clutch rounds that mattered most.
Nongshim RedForce arrived as the quiet terror. The Korean roster didn't just qualify for Masters Santiago — they won VCT 2026: Pacific Kickoff, making them the first Pacific team to receive a direct Masters seeding this year. They enter the Grand Final having not lost a single series in all of 2026. Their path through Santiago has been equally composed: a clean 2–0 sweep of Gentle Mates in the Quarterfinals, followed by a tense 2–1 grind against G2 Esports in the Semifinals, where they pushed the deciding map to overtime before closing it out 14–12.
The Grand Final bracket comes down to the Upper Bracket winner vs. the Lower Bracket winner.
NRG and Nongshim RedForce clashed in the Upper Bracket Final on March 13. The winner of that match advances directly to the Grand Final with a crucial built-in advantage: they arrive with a fresh body and a map bank advantage in the best-of-five. The UB winner only needs to win 3 maps. The LB winner needs 3 wins without a single safety net — one deficit puts them in must-win territory the whole way.
The LB side features the survivor of a Paper Rex vs. G2 Esports Lower Semifinal on March 13, with the LB Final set for March 14. Whether it's PRX mounting a comeback run or G2 making it back to the biggest stage, they'll have run through two more elimination matches before even stepping foot in the Grand Final.
This is why the UB path matters. NRG and Nongshim earned an easier road to the trophy. Whoever wins the Grand Final on March 15 will deserve every dollar of it.
Roster: brawk, Ethan, keiko, mada, skuba | Coach: bonkar
NRG's identity is built on one thing: they do not tilt. Coach bonkar runs the most structured, detail-oriented prep operation in Americas, and you feel it in every map they play. NRG doesn't rely on flashy solo play — they win through preparation, map control, and execution that's been drilled so many times it looks effortless.
brawk is the pillar. The Australian duelist is one of the most consistent performers in any VCT lineup — he doesn't pop off in every highlight reel, but his floor is impossibly high. When the round looks lost, brawk finds a way.
Ethan and mada form an engine room of utility usage and off-angle play that punishes any team trying to rush setups. The team's Swiss Stage run — a near-perfect 2–0 record through group play — showed their consistency isn't tournament-specific. This is how NRG plays every game.
To win the Grand Final, NRG needs to control map selection. Their best maps neutralize the aggressive Pacific playstyle, and bonkar will have specific reads on whoever comes out of the LB. If they can take an early map lead in the best-of-five, their mental game is second to none in closing out series.
You can track where NRG's players rank on the Amber.gg Valorant Leaderboard as Act 2 kicks off after the tournament.
Roster: Dambi, Francis, Ivy, Rb, Xross | Coach: SilKanoN
Zero losses in 2026. Let that sit for a second.
Nongshim RedForce aren't just winning — they're doing it in a way that makes analysts nervous. They don't have a single clear weakness yet because nobody has found one. Dambi on Neon is one of the most explosive mechanical performances in VCT right now; she doesn't play Neon as a flank tool, she plays it as a weapon. When Nongshim need a round to go aggressive, Dambi creates angles that simply shouldn't exist.
Ivy and Francis provide the scaffold that makes the explosiveness possible — consistent utility, clean setups, and the kind of map control that makes opponents slow down and second-guess their reads. Rb as IGL brings a methodical Pacific structure that adapts mid-series faster than most teams react.
What makes Nongshim dangerous in a Grand Final setting isn't just the unbeaten record — it's that their map pool is wide. They've won on nearly every map in the current pool, and SilKanoN's coaching staff is known for developing multiple distinct styles per map rather than running one default.
To win, Nongshim needs to pressure NRG into uncomfortable map picks. If they can get to their comfort maps — and they've earned that right as UB representatives — the best-of-five format suits their structured, patient style perfectly.
$350,000 goes to the winner. $200,000 to the runner-up. But the real prize isn't the prize money.
VCT Championship Points. The Masters Santiago winner collects 6 Championship Points — the most of any non-Worlds tournament. Those 6 points are the difference between a guaranteed spot at Worlds and fighting through Play-Ins. For regions like Pacific, where international representation is a constant battle, every Championship Point is precious. Nongshim RedForce winning would make them the dominant force in Pacific heading into the second half of the season. NRG winning cements their status as not just 2025 Champions, but active 2026 contenders.
The winner also skips directly into the Worlds bracket proper — no Play-In grinding, no best-of-one lottery. Straight to the best-of-threes when it matters.
And beyond standings: Act 2 launches March 18, three days after the Grand Final. Whoever wins Santiago is the team every player will be watching as they queue their first ranked games of the new Act.
Here's where March 15 goes from "big day" to "historic day."
Riot is revealing Agent 30 live during the Grand Final halftime in a dedicated showmatch. The event kicks off at 2:00 PM CLST / 10:00 AM PT — check your local timezone and set a reminder now.
What we know so far:
The teaser coordinates point unmistakably to Zagreb, Croatia — making Agent 30 Valorant's first Croatian-linked agent and continuing Riot's worldbuilding expansion into Eastern Europe. The teaser also includes a "Radiant detected" UI element, confirming this is a Radiant-origin agent rather than a human who found their abilities.
The musical teaser — "LISTEN UP // Clarity", a VALORANT × BUNT. remix featuring Zedd and Foxes — leans into themes of resonance and signal, which fits the rumored ability kit. Based on Riot's own teaser materials, Agent 30's kit includes AoE healing mechanics and ability amplification — possibly making them the most support-oriented addition to the roster since Sage, but with an offensive twist that looks closer to a controller or initiator.
The showmatch itself features Completo Gaming vs. Weones Malos — two teams built specifically for this reveal. Riot is treating this like a theatrical premiere, not just a footnote.
On top of the agent reveal, a brand new game mode is debuting at the same event. Details on the mode are still locked down, but this adds another layer to why March 15 is essential viewing.
Agent 30 goes live March 18 with Act 2. That's your first chance to queue with the new kit in ranked. If you're looking to grind ranked the moment Act 2 drops, the competitive ladders on Amber.gg's Valorant section will have action from day one.
The Grand Final broadcasts on all official VCT Valorant Esports channels. Riot typically runs a full English broadcast with multiple co-streams available via their Creator Coalition.
Search "VCT Masters Santiago Grand Final 2026" on your platform of choice — YouTube, Twitch, and VCT's own app will all carry the broadcast. Multiple language broadcasts in Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and others will be available for international viewers.
Doors for the in-person venue in Santiago open earlier in the day. The UB winner's team vs. LB Final winner bracket format means the best-of-five could potentially run long — block out several hours.
NRG brings the trophy pedigree and the mental fortitude of a team that's been in this position before. Nongshim RedForce brings an unbeaten 2026 record and a mechanical edge that no team has found an answer to yet.
If Nongshim takes the UB Final on March 13, they walk into the Grand Final as the legitimate favorite — unbeaten record, better rest, map bank advantage. The pressure to perform on the biggest stage is entirely on NRG to prove their 2025 crown still means something.
If NRG wins the UB Final, this turns into a true 50/50 with NRG's experience giving them a slight psychological edge in a best-of-five war.
Either way, March 15 is unmissable. Lock it in.
The VCT 2026 Stage 1 campaign starts soon. Check out the full EMEA and Americas group stage breakdown to see who is chasing London.
The VCT 2026 Stage 1 campaign starts soon. Check out the full EMEA and Americas group stage breakdown to see who is chasing London.
Want to compete in Valorant ranked ladders with real cash prizes? Jump into the competitive grind on Amber.gg — ladders run every week for all ranks, with real prize pools distributed to top performers.
