The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2026 EMEA region is arguably one of the strongest, with the likes of Team Heretics and Fnatic ranked among the best teams in the world. That's why the VCT 2026 EMEA Kickoff results are so surprising: neither of those giants made it to the podium, and therefore, Masters Santiago.

At the Riot Games Arena in Berlin, Germany, 12 of the best teams from EMEA competed for only three spots at the upcoming Masters Santiago event.

In the triple-elimination bracket, things went south early for some of the biggest names in the business, with Fnatic and Heretics stumbling quickly in the Quarterfinals.

It was BBL Esports who rose to the challenge in the Upper Bracket, first beating PCIFIC Esports 2-1, then Fnatic 2-0, and Team Vitality 2-0. Against Gentle Mates in the Upper Bracket Final, BBL Esports came out on top with a 3-2 win to secure the top position at VCT 2026 EMEA Kickoff.

Gentle Mates bounced back with a 3-2 reverse-sweep comeback, where Fnatic were 2-0 ahead, to win the Middle Bracket Final. With only one spot remaining, it was Team Liquid who swept Fnatic under the rug with a clean 3-0 to place third. Incredible!

Below, you'll find the final standings for the VCT 2026 EMEA Kickoff event, alongside

Stay tuned to Esports Central as we'll bring you all the results from the biggest VALORANT events, including both Masters and the Champions tournaments.

Header image via Riot Games.