G2 Esports eliminated by Paper Rex from VALORANT Masters Santiago

Another international tournament, another early exit for G2 Esports. The Americas powerhouse was sent packing from VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026 after a 2-1 defeat to Paper Rex in the Lower Bracket Semifinal. A result that stings but perhaps won't surprise many.

Another Trophyless Run

Paper Rex had a slow start but turned the momentum around to close out the series. G2 drew first blood on Paper Rex's pick of Haven, capitalizing on PRX's early struggles to take the map 13-11. Breeze was a complete turnaround. Paper Rex opened with a dominant five-round defensive run and never looked back, closing it out 13-9.

The decider on Corrode was no contest. Paper Rex were a completely different team compared to map 1: dominant from start to finish with mistakes kept to a bare minimum. G2 could only convert on the rare error as PRX cruised to a crushing 13-4 win to seal the series.

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026

Paper Rex

2

X

1

G2 Esports

Lower Bracket Round 3 of 4, Best of 3 - March 13, 2026 - 7:25PM

11

Haven

13

13

Breeze

9

13

Corrode

4

Paper Rex

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

something

1.30

240

57/33/8

+24

1.73

80.1%

138.2

22%

63%

10

6

Jinggg

1.16

220

45/38/29

+7

1.18

79.5%

154.5

35%

58%

7

5

d4v41

1.15

222

53/39/8

+14

1.36

74.7%

140.0

35%

83%

10

2

f0rsakeN

1.14

240

51/41/17

+10

1.24

76.9%

163.9

33%

58%

7

5

invy

0.82

177

37/39/18

-2

0.95

71.1%

137.4

33%

36%

4

7

G2 Esports

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

jawgemo

1.10

234

52/51/13

+1

1.02

64.0%

154.6

19%

39%

7

11

trent

0.92

188

42/45/16

-3

0.93

69.7%

135.4

35%

75%

3

1

leaf

0.82

180

38/52/17

-14

0.73

62.0%

119.8

25%

33%

5

10

valyn

0.68

145

30/47/20

-17

0.64

67.5%

99.5

28%

44%

7

9

babybay

0.57

126

28/48/10

-20

0.58

56.7%

79.4

14%

30%

3

7

G2's International Record

There is no doubt about the caliber of a team like G2. They are one of the most successful teams in the Americas, winners of the three-peat last season, and widely regarded as the most accomplished Ascension team to compete in Tier 1. But something still seems to be missing when the stakes go global.

Their record speaks for itself. Across six international appearances over two Tier-1 seasons, G2 have managed just a silver and a bronze medal. Making the top four on four occasions sounds respectable until you consider the expectations that follow a team of their level. Calling it a "choker mentality" may be tongue-in-cheek, but the pattern is hard to ignore.

Paper Rex's Dominant Form

Paper Rex's slow starts may cause them some of their own problems, but once they find their rhythm, they are near-impossible to stop. Their ability to close out flawless rounds in full buy situations is a testament to how locked in they are right now.

With G2 eliminated, Paper Rex now face NRG for the third time this tournament. The winner earns a spot in the Grand Finals against Nongshim RedForce.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image Source: Liu YiCun/Riot Games/Riot Games