• Masters Santiago runs February 28–March 15 at Espacio Riesco in Santiago, Chile, with a $1 million prize pool.
• 12 teams confirmed: top three from each of Americas, EMEA, China, and Pacific.
• Regional #1 seeds FURIA, BBL Esports, All Gamers, and Nongshim Red Force receive direct byes to playoffs.
• Swiss Stage opens February 28 with four cross-regional best-of-threes: M8 vs EDG, T1 vs TL, G2 vs PRX, XLG vs NRG.
• Top four from Swiss advance to join the byes in an eight-team double-elimination playoffs bracket starting March 6.
• Top four finishers earn Championship Points for Champions Shanghai (4-3-2-1).
• First Masters to feature three Ascension teams (G2, Nongshim Red Force, Xi Lai Gaming) on the global stage.

The 12-team roster for the first international LAN of the 2026 VCT season is now official. Riot and the leagues released the full list of qualified squads, the Swiss Stage opening matchups, and the complete tournament format on the same day.

This is not just another Masters. With Championship Points on the line for the top four and a double-elimination playoffs bracket already drawn, the regional #1 seeds enter with a clear edge while the other eight must earn their spot the hard way. A single Swiss loss can end a run before the real bracket even begins.

The four #1 seeds: FURIA, BBL Esports, All Gamers, and Nongshim Red Force – skip the Swiss Stage entirely and head straight into the playoffs bracket.

Swiss Stage: Four Must-Win Openers

The remaining eight teams open play on February 28 in a standard Swiss format (best-of-three). The four opening matches are:

• Gentle Mates vs EDward Gaming
• T1 vs Team Liquid
• G2 Esports vs Paper Rex
• Xi Lai Gaming vs NRG Esports

Only the top four advance. The bottom four are eliminated. No second chances.

Playoffs: Double-Elim Bracket Already Set

The eight-team double-elimination bracket starts March 6. The four bye teams are pre-seeded into the upper bracket quarterfinals and will face the four Swiss survivors. Upper and lower bracket runs continue until the grand final, which is a single map-deciding match if the upper-bracket team wins, or a second grand final if the lower-bracket team forces it.

The bracket itself has already been drawn and published by Riot, fixing the paths for the bye teams and the slots the Swiss qualifiers will fill.

Points, Prize, and Early Season Weight

Masters Santiago is the first of three global events that feed directly into Champions Shanghai qualification. The top four teams walk away with:
1st : 4 Championship Points
2nd : 3 Points
3rd : 2 Points
4th : 1 Point

The $1 million prize pool is secondary to the points in February. A deep run here gives a team breathing room for the rest of the year; an early exit means they must overperform later just to stay on track for Shanghai.

The Swiss Stage begins in less than two weeks. The four byes are already inside the bracket. Everything else has to be earned on site.

• Team Liquid Brazil defeated Shopify Rebellion Gold 3-2 in the best-of-five grand final to claim the VCT Game Changers Championship 2025 title.
• The event took place from November 20 to 30, 2025, at LoL PARK in Seoul, South Korea, featuring 10 teams in a double-elimination bracket.
• Brazil secured its first Game Changers Championship victory, avenging a 2023 grand final loss to the same opponent.
• Natália “daiki” Vilela of Team Liquid Brazil was named tournament MVP.
• Team Liquid Brazil earned $180,000 from the $500,000 prize pool, with Shopify Rebellion Gold receiving $100,000 as runners-up.

VCT Game Changers Championship 2025 Overview

The VCT Game Changers Championship 2025 concluded on November 30, 2025, crowning Team Liquid Brazil as champions after a competitive double-elimination tournament. Organized by Riot Games, the S-Tier event gathered 10 teams from regions including the Americas, EMEA, China, and APAC at LoL PARK in Seoul, South Korea. Matches followed a best-of-three format through most of the bracket, escalating to best-of-five for the lower bracket final and grand final.

Qualified teams earned spots through regional circuit points or major qualifiers, representing diverse nationalities such as Brazil, Turkey, the Philippines, and South Korea. The tournament featured strong performances from Americas squads, with four reaching the top eight placements. A total prize pool of $500,000 underscored the event’s prominence in the Game Changers circuit, dedicated to women and marginalized genders in VALORANT esports.

Team Liquid Brazil Advances Through Upper Bracket

Team Liquid Brazil secured an early advantage by winning the upper bracket final 2-1 against Shopify Rebellion Gold on November 28, 2025. The series, a rematch of prior encounters, saw Team Liquid prevail on Haven (14-12), Pearl (13-10), and Sunset (13-7). This victory marked Shopify Rebellion Gold’s first series loss in the Game Changers circuit since October 2024 and guaranteed Team Liquid Brazil’s grand final appearance.

Prior matches highlighted Team Liquid Brazil’s resilience, including a 2-1 quarterfinal win over G2 Gozen and a 2-0 victory against KRÜ Blaze. The team’s path reflected consistent execution in high-stakes Bo3 series, positioning them as favorites entering the decisive stage.

Shopify Rebellion Gold Claims Lower Bracket Final

Shopify Rebellion Gold responded to their upper bracket setback by navigating the lower bracket, culminating in a 3-1 win over MADE IN BRAZIL. Game Changers in the lower bracket final on November 29, 2025. This result set up a grand final rematch and preserved their undefeated streak in prior lower rounds, including victories over Karmine Corp Game Changers and G2 Gozen.

The Canadian organization’s run demonstrated depth, having previously won the 2023 and 2024 championships. Their qualification for a third straight grand final underscored ongoing dominance, despite the upper final defeat.

Grand Final Series Recap

Team Liquid Brazil captured the title in a five-map grand final against Shopify Rebellion Gold, winning 3-2. Shopify Rebellion Gold took Haven 13-11. Team Liquid Brazil equalized on Pearl 13-11, then dominated Bind 13-10 after trailing at halftime. Shopify Rebellion Gold forced a decider on Sunset 13-6, but Team Liquid Brazil closed on Split.

Bizerra led Team Liquid Brazil with 85 kills and a +7 K/D ratio, while Joojina recorded seven multi-kill rounds on Pearl, and was the most clutch player . Shopify Rebellion Gold’s dodonut topped the series with 91 kills and 17 first bloods.

Key Players and Tournament MVP

Natália “daiki” Vilela, in-game leader for Team Liquid Brazil, earned MVP honors for her clutch performances across the event. Her leadership guided the squad through critical moments, including the upper final and grand final.

Team Liquid Brazil’s roster included Bizerra, Jelly, Joojina, and isaa alongside daiki. Shopify Rebellion Gold fielded alexis, dodonut, meL, Noia, and sarahcat.

Final Standings and Prize Distribution

Team Liquid Brazil finished first, securing $180,000. Shopify Rebellion Gold placed second with $100,000. MADE IN BRAZIL. Game Changers took third for $70,000, and KRÜ Blaze earned $50,000 in fourth. Fifth and sixth positions went to Karmine Corp Game Changers and G2 Gozen ($25,000 each), followed by Nova Esports Game Changers and Ninetails ($15,000 each), and GIANTX Game Changers and Xipto Game Changers ($10,000 each).

The distribution highlighted the competitive depth, with Americas teams claiming the top three spots.

Brazil Secures Historic First Title

Team Liquid Brazil’s victory marked the first Game Changers Championship win for a Brazilian team, ending a run of grand final appearances in 2023 without the trophy. The achievement avenged their 2023 loss to Shopify Rebellion Gold in São Paulo and elevated Brazil’s standing in the circuit.