Paper Rex reclaims VCT Pacific crown

TOKYO, Japan — Paper Rex added another Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) trophy to its collection after outclassing defending champion Rex Regum Qeon, 3-1, in the VCT Pacific grand finals at the LaLa Arena over the weekend here.

Having dominated the Stage 2 of the tournament, Paper Rex comfortably awaited RRQ after booking a grand finals slot from the upper bracket, while the Indonesian team fought to the end against Thailand's Talon in a nail-biter lower bracket finals duel last Saturday, 3-2.

The reigning Masters Toronto champion wasted no time in gaining an advantage after taking its map pick of Bind at 13-8 and RRQ's map pick of Ascent at 13-7. The defending champion was able to extend the series with a strong outing in Lotus, 6-13, to deny Paper Rex a sweep.

But Haven favored Paper Rex with a comfortable 8-5 lead at the half and then took three consecutive rounds as it shifted to the attacking side. Though RRQ seemed to be on the verge of coming online for the map, Paper Rex's comfortable lead was enough for the Express to reclaim the trophy they last won in 2024 during Stage 1 of that year's VCT Pacific, with Filipino rookie Patrick "PatMen" Mendoza delivering the final shot for Paper Rex to lift the trophy.

"Alam kong nahit ng [ultimate] ni "forsaken" (Jason Susanto) si "jemkin" (Maksim Batorov). Kailangan ko lang talaga is one shot. Nagtiwala ako sa instinct ko and pinush ko na,” Mendoza told the Filipino media after the series.

The win makes Mendoza the first Filipino to win a VCT Pacific trophy since the franchise model was first introduced back in 2023 and also sees him as a two-time Valorant champion, having won Masters Toronto with Paper Rex last June. He joined the Singaporean organization just last March and has only been with the team for approximately six months.

Paper Rex will next see action as the top Pacific seed ahead of VCT's culminating tournament — Valorant Champions — set to happen in Paris beginning September 12.