NS RedForce pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent VALORANT esports history, sweeping Paper Rex 3-0 in the Grand Final of VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 to claim their first major international title. The tournament wrapped up in Chile on March 15, capping a two-week run that delivered plenty of surprises from the Swiss Stage all the way to the championship match.
Tournament Format and Road to the Final
Masters Santiago 2026 followed the same structural blueprint as its predecessor in Toronto. Top-seeded teams from their respective regional leagues received direct entry into the playoff bracket, while lower-seeded squads had to fight through the Swiss Stage to earn their spot.
The opening rounds delivered immediate drama. T1, the reigning VALORANT Masters Bangkok 2025 champions, suffered a shocking early exit, becoming one of the tournament's most notable casualties. On the flip side, French squad Gentle Mates exceeded every expectation in their Masters series debut, punching through the Swiss Stage and into the playoff bracket.
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T1's early elimination, combined with the exits of other fan-favorite North American and European teams, contributed significantly to viewership declines compared to Masters Toronto 2025.
The playoff bracket's central storyline belonged to Paper Rex. The veteran Southeast Asian roster stumbled in the second round, falling to NRG and dropping into the lower bracket. What followed was a relentless lower-bracket run: Paper Rex eliminated All Gamers, then G2 Esports, before defeating NRG in a rematch to advance to the Grand Final.
Waiting for them was NS RedForce, a South Korean squad with no prior experience on a stage of this magnitude.
NS RedForce's Historic Grand Final Victory
Few analysts gave NS RedForce a realistic shot against Paper Rex heading into the final. The Southeast Asian veterans had just completed one of the most dramatic lower-bracket runs the tournament had seen. Momentum, experience, and reputation all pointed toward a Paper Rex title.
Instead, NS RedForce dismantled them in three straight maps, claiming a clean 3-0 sweep and their first major VALORANT championship. The victory carried extra weight given the opponent, as Paper Rex were the reigning VALORANT Masters Toronto 2025 champions.
Viewership Numbers and Tournament Performance
According to Esports Charts data, Masters Santiago 2026 saw a 15-20% decline in viewership compared to Masters Toronto. Several factors converged to drive that drop:
- Early elimination of popular North American and European teams
- Unfavorable time zone differences for major audience markets
- Direct scheduling conflict with the ESL Pro League Season 23 Counter-Strike final airing simultaneously
The Grand Final between Paper Rex and NS RedForce still drew a peak of over 883,000 concurrent viewers, marking a historic milestone as the most-watched match in NS RedForce's organizational history.
When placed against the full history of the Masters series, Santiago 2026 ranks seventh overall in peak viewership, trailing the all-time record by nearly 50%. Excluding VALORANT Champions events, that places it in the middle tier of the series.
One bright spot in the viewership story was the growth of Portuguese and French language broadcasts. Community casters including TcK10, sacy, and Squeezie pulled significant audiences to their personal streams, driving notable regional spikes.
Agent Reveal and What Comes Next
Riot Games used the finals stage to unveil VALORANT's 30th agent: Miks, a Controller from Croatia whose kit revolves entirely around sound manipulation and rhythm-based abilities. The agent is scheduled to debut on March 18 alongside the launch of Episode 2026, Act 2.
With Masters Santiago now concluded, teams return to their regional leagues. VCT 2026: Stage 1 matches are set to begin as early as April 1. The next major international milestone on the calendar is VALORANT Masters London 2026, scheduled for June 6-21.
Source: Escharts
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who won VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026?
NS RedForce won the tournament, defeating Paper Rex 3-0 in the Grand Final to claim their first major international VALORANT title.
What was the peak viewership for the Masters Santiago 2026 Grand Final?
The Grand Final peaked at over 883,000 concurrent viewers, making it the most-watched match in NS RedForce's history as an organization.
What format did VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 use?
The tournament used a Swiss Stage for lower-seeded teams to qualify into the playoff bracket, while top-seeded teams from regional leagues received direct entry into the playoffs.
When is the next major VALORANT international event?
VALORANT Masters London 2026 is the next major international event on the calendar, scheduled to run from June 6 to June 21.
