The Valorant competitive scene has grown substantially since its release, and it even observed professionals arriving from different parts of the globe. Paper Rex is one of the teams that has evolved with the game and is currently in the final stage of Champions 2023.
Paper Rex competed in Valorant Champions 2022, but they faced an early exit during the group stage. This year, the Singaporean team is rewriting the story and has earned the hearts of many as they reach the Grand Finals.
The team’s story has been right out of a fairytale, and they had to cross multiple hurdles to get to the top. Here’s the story of the Asian giant that took Riot’s shooter community by storm with their exceptional gameplay.
The initiation of Paper Rex in the Valorant competitive scene
Paper Rex had a small beginning in July 2020 and was created by former CSGO legend Harley “dsn” Orwell and Nikhil “nikH” Hathiramani. On the other hand, Riot Games didn’t officially announce a dedicated esports system like other shooters initially and only did so later in November 2020 when news about the Valorant Champions Tour rolled in.
The team initially consisted of five members, Brxndon, Egoist, Retla, JdFaker, and pndmonia. However, they didn’t perform so well in 2020 and lost quite a lot of matches. Still, the fate of the team was yet to change as a new roster would soon dive in.
Kumaresan “Tommy” Ramani, Aaron “mindfreak” Leonhart, Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto, Benedict “Benkai” Tan, and Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee joined in to create the new roster for Paper Rex in 2021. However, Tommy was soon placed by Wang “Jinggg” Jie and completed the new roster that many know now.
This roster slowly climbed it’s way up in the Singapore region in 2021 and won most of the tournaments. They even found themselves in the limelight of international viewership after competing in VCT 2021 Masters Berlin. However, they had to leave the party early after losing in the group stage.
The performance PRX showcased didn’t appeal to many during that time. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop the team and ignited a fire that would be appreciated by many in the future.
The growth of PRX and the showcase of potential before Valorant Champions 2023
Since their defeat in 2021, the team was ready to train hard and come back stronger. This commitment was visual during their performance in 2022 when the team won every single Challenger series that the region has to offer.
In the first Masters tournament in the 2022 session, the team came in fourth position. However, they weren’t satisfied with the results. Thus, in the next Masters tournament at Copenhagen, PRX came in close to winning. However, in failing to win the finals against FPX, they earned the second position. Although the loss was heartbreaking, PRX’s determination and drive appealed to the sentiments of international viewership, and most started believing in their potential.
Until 2021, the Valorant esports community was mostly positive about Sentinels being the king of Valorant. However, those myths were busted as multiple teams started to jump over them, including Paper Rex.
Even though PRX showed potential in both Masters tournaments, the Champions 2022 finale didn’t turn out their way. The team was defeated in the group stages and ended the road for the Singaporean team that year. However, their defeat didn’t stop fans from believing in them. While on the other side, legends like Sentinels were losing their reputation.
The prestige moment of Paper Rex in Valorant competitive scene in 2023
Valorant Champions Tour 2023 had changes in their esports system completely for the future. The Pacific League was the first major tournament that Paper Rex took on in the region. In this, the team had to face all the big shots from the region to get a slot in Masters and Champions 2023.
Having all ups and downs during the past years, the team had a flawless run in the Pacific League upper brackets. The team didn’t lose a single map during the Upper Brackets and moved to the Grand Finals to face DRX. During this time, they faced tough competition and won against DRX with a 3:2 scoreline. Thus, locking their slot in for Champions and Masters 2023.
However, Master Tokyo turned out to be a challenge for the team as it faced competitors from all over the world. Unfortunately, their match against Fnatic in the Upper Bracket Semifinals sent them down to the elimination brackets. However, even though the team faced all odds and tried to make their way back up, they eventually had to settle for the fourth position in Masters Tokyo 2023.
The comeback of PRX during Champions 2023 proved them to be rough diamonds needing polish
Champions 2023 is the biggest tournament held for Valorant, and teams give it their all to come out on top. With a lot at stake, every team gives their best and tries not to get eliminated. Paper Rex sure had a long road to cover, but they took all their losses as learning sessions.
The team from Singapore showed a steady rise in performance over the years. After facing multiple teams and facing various results, Champions 2023 wrote a new chapter for them. Ever since the beginning of the international tournament, the team showcased performances that shocked the viewers in Los Angeles as well as the worldwide audience.
During the group stage of the international tournament, PRX did not lose a single match against other teams. Subsequently, the team displayed the same performance in the bracket stage and made it to the top flawlessly. Additionally, the team also redeemed itself against Evil Geniuses in the Upper Bracket Finals after losing in Masters 2023.
However, Evil Geniuses won against LOUD, the winners of Champions 2022, to finally compete against PRX for the grand title. The match between the two would decide who will be called the World Champions in 2023. However, after seeing the team struggle over the years, fans globally wish for their success.
That concludes this story about Paper Rex and catches up to their recent performances in Valorant Champions 2023. If you wish to get updates on more similar topics, give us a follow. If you want to read other interesting related topics, you can visit our hub by clicking here.
