Ms. Alicia Milne reports

Q2 METALS APPOINTS KEITH PHILLIPS AS EXECUTIVE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Q2 Metals Corp. has appointed director Keith Phillips to the role of executive chair of the board of directors of the company, effective immediately.

Mr. Phillips joined the board of Q2 Metals in October, 2025, after serving as chief executive officer of Piedmont Lithium from its inception in 2017 to its merger with Sayona Mining in 2025. Under his leadership, Piedmont achieved a peak market capitalization exceeding $1.0-billion, growing from an early-stage, single project exploration company to a global lithium producer with assets in Canada, Ghana and the United States, as well as key commercial partnerships with Tesla and LG Chem. The successor company, Elevra Lithium, is North America's leading hardrock lithium producer. Prior to joining Piedmont, Mr. Phillips had a distinguished 30-year career on Wall Street, where he managed strategic and financing transactions with an aggregate value of over $100-billion.

Alicia Milne, Q2 Metals president and chief executive officer, commented: "We were very pleased to have Keith join the company last fall, and I am looking forward to having him more involved as we continue to advance the Cisco lithium project. We expect 2026 will be a pivotal year for Q2 as we anticipate publishing our inaugural inferred mineral resource estimate on Cisco in March and then will continue to transition from early-stage discovery to focus on advanced exploration, engineering, permitting and community engagement. Keith's experience will be a benefit to our team as we continue to grow and evolve."

Keith Phillips, executive chairman, stated: "I've been highly impressed with the team at Q2 during my few months on the board. It's clear that Cisco is an exceptional asset, with world-class scale and grade and an advantageous location within the mining-friendly province of Quebec. In taking on a more active role, I hope to bring further value to the company, particularly in the areas of investor and strategic positioning."

Cisco lithium project update

Drilling has recommenced for the winter season at the Cisco lithium project with a primary focus on continued infill drilling of the main mineralized zone, which will be the subject of a preliminary economic assessment targeted for late 2026. Exploration drilling may also be incorporated into the drill program to test areas outside of the main mineralized zone.

As of Dec. 31, 2025, a total of 74 holes have been drilled at the Cisco project for 31,961 metres. Assays remain pending on seven holes that were drilled in the last quarter of 2025, and will be reported once received and reviewed. All holes drilled to Dec. 31, 2025, will be incorporated into an inaugural inferred mineral resource estimate.

Coming events

The company will also be attending the following events.

Qualified person

Neil McCallum, BSc, PGeol, is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, a registered permit holder with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and a member in good standing with the Professional Geoscientists of Ontario. Mr. McCallum has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. Mr. McCallum is a director and the vice-president, exploration, for Q2.

About Q2 Metals Corp.

Q2 Metals is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the Cisco lithium project, located within the greater Nemaska traditional territory of the Eeyou Istchee, James Bay region of Quebec, Canada. The known mineralized zone at Cisco is just 6.5 kilometres from the Billy Diamond Highway, which leads to the railhead in the town of Matagami, approximately 150 kilometres to the south.

The Cisco project has district-scale potential with an initial exploration target estimating a range of potential lithium mineralization of 215 million to 329 million tonnes at a grade ranging from 1.0 to 1.38 per cent lithium oxide, based only on the first 40 holes drilled. It is noted that the potential quantity and grade of the exploration target are conceptual in nature, and there has been insufficient exploration to estimate and define a mineral resource as defined by National Instrument 43-101. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

The 2026 exploration program is continuing, primarily focused on continued infill drilling toward indicated resource definition for inclusion in a preliminary economic assessment, targeted for late 2026. Expansion and exploration drilling continues at the main zone, which remains open at depth and along strike, as well as at high-potential targets identified across the broader 41,253-hectare project area.

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