MANILA -- All-Filipino VALORANT squad Team Secret is grouped with Masters: Berlin champions Gambit Esports to start the biggest and last tournament in the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) circuit in Berlin, Germany in December.

• Valorant: Stars align, as all-Pinoy Team Secret qualify for Valorant Champions in Berlin

Team Secret will open their VALORANT Champions campaign with a Group C stage clash against Russia-based Gambit Esports on December 2 at 10 p.m. Philippine time.

Aside from Gambit Esports, Team Secret is grouped with Brazil squad Team Vikings and Japanese squad Crazy Raccoon.

To qualify for the playoffs, Team Secret will have to emerge as one of the top two teams in a double-elimination bracket group stage format.

The champions, to be determined after a single-elimination playoff stage, will take home the lion's share of a $1-million (P50 million) prize pool.

Team Secret is one of three Southeast Asian teams competing in the tournament, with Thai squads X10 Esports and Full Sense making up the other two teams participating from the sub-region.

• esports: Team Secret acquires Bren Esports' Valorant lineup
• Valorant: PH's Bren shock Singapore squad Paper Rex to win VCT Challengers-SEA

After a whirlwind of events which saw Team Secret withdraw from Masters: Berlin when the players were still with Bren Esports, the stars seemed to align for Team Secret after fellow Southeast Asian squad Paper Rex fell to European squad SuperMassive Blaze in the Masters: Berlin qualifiers.