Paper Rex and Gentle Mates Secure Masters Santiago Playoff Berths Following Undefeated Swiss Stage Runs

Paper Rex defeats NRG 2-1 and Gentle Mates sweeps Team Liquid 2-0 to become the first teams to qualify for the VALORANT Masters Santiago Playoffs.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 3, 2026, 10:00 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Esports Insider

Pacific Aggression Trumps American Resilience

The opening series of the day at Masters Santiago featured a clash of titans as Masters Toronto victors Paper Rex (PRX) faced off against the reigning VALORANT Champions, NRG. In a series defined by razor-thin margins and high-octane trading, the Pacific third seed emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline. The battle began on Split, where the teams entered halftime locked at 6-6. While NRG found success punishing PRX’s trademark aggression, the Pacific squad's superior efficiency in post-plant situations allowed them to snatch the map 13-10. NRG responded on Pearl, led by a spectacular performance from Adam ‘mada’ Pampuch, who recorded back-to-back Aces to help his team secure a 13-10 victory and force a decider.

f0rsakeN Seals the Deal on Haven

The final map, Haven, proved to be the most dramatic of the series. Despite NRG winning both pistol rounds to establish early momentum, Paper Rex’s coordinated site hits and disciplined retakes saw them take an 8-4 lead on the attack half. NRG mounted a desperate late-game comeback, threatening to push the map into overtime, but Paper Rex’s Jason ‘f0rsakeN’ Susanto delivered a series-ending Ace at 13-11. The win preserves Paper Rex’s undefeated status in the Swiss Stage and solidifies their reputation as one of the tournament's most dangerous offensive threats heading into the bracket stage.

Gentle Mates Outclass Team Liquid in EMEA Derby

The second qualification match offered an all-EMEA showdown between second seed Gentle Mates and third seed Team Liquid. What many expected to be a close tactical struggle turned into a statement performance for the French organization, who dismantled Team Liquid in a 2-0 sweep. On Pearl, Team Liquid attempted to disrupt the meta by introducing Harbor, the first time the controller has appeared at Masters Santiago. While the utility initially slowed Gentle Mates, the French side quickly adapted, overpowering Liquid’s defenses to take the map 13-11. The momentum shifted entirely to Bind, where Gentle Mates’ IGL Patryk ‘starxo’ Kopczyński orchestrated a near-flawless 10-2 attack half, eventually closing the map with a crushing 13-3 victory.