Paper Rex exit VALORANT Champions Paris 2025 in fourth place: "We can rise again next year"

In a much-anticipated Lower Bracket matchup at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions, Paper Rex squared off against Pacific rivals KIWOOM DRX, with the winner gaining a shot at the Lower Bracket Finals, and the loser forced to pack their bags. The stakes were high, but after a dramatic, hard-fought series, DRX emerged victorious with a 2-0 sweep, ending Paper Rex’s run in fourth place.

Strategic Map Veto

The series opened with a tactical map veto: DRX denied PRX their favored Sunset, while PRX removed Abyss, one of DRX's strengths. DRX selected Ascent and PRX chose Lotus, with further bans leaving Corrode as the potential decider – though it was never played.

Paper Rex started strong on DRX’s pick of Ascent, showcasing a disciplined defensive setup and finishing the first half with a dominant 9-3 lead. However, DRX mounted a comeback, led by Hyun-min "HYUNMIN" Song’s standout performance, clawing back round after round to push the map into overtime. Despite PRX’s early momentum, DRX clinched Ascent 15-13 in OT, turning the tide of the series.

On Lotus, PRX’s own map pick, DRX carried their momentum forward, gaining a 7-5 advantage at halftime. With Kim "MaKo" Myeong-kwan and HYUNMIN delivering crucial plays, DRX closed the map 13-8, completing a convincing series win and securing their rematch against Fnatic in the Lower Bracket Finals.

VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions

KIWOOM DRX

2

X

0

Paper Rex

Lower Bracket Round 3 of 4, Best of 3 - October 3, 2025 - 1:35PM

15

Ascent

13

13

Lotus

8

KIWOOM DRX

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

HYUNMIN

1.40

296

55/32/4

+23

1.72

63.1%

199.8

39%

69%

9

4

MaKo

1.10

177

32/24/22

+8

1.33

78.0%

109.3

25%

57%

4

3

free1ng

0.95

194

32/28/12

+4

1.14

75.6%

121.7

43%

55%

6

5

BeYN

0.89

183

30/28/11

+2

1.07

73.8%

121.2

25%

100%

5

0

Flashback

0.88

187

31/35/15

-4

0.89

72.0%

126.3

21%

23%

3

10

Paper Rex

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Jinggg

1.28

269

48/34/6

+14

1.41

67.9%

177.6

39%

58%

11

8

d4v41

0.80

176

28/35/13

-7

0.80

70.2%

125.6

21%

25%

1

3

f0rsakeN

0.76

150

26/37/16

-11

0.70

65.5%

100.8

33%

17%

1

5

something

0.74

162

28/39/9

-11

0.72

63.7%

105.2

19%

50%

6

6

PatMen

0.39

105

17/35/4

-18

0.49

57.1%

82.4

32%

38%

3

5

Post-Match Reflections

During the post-match press conference, PRX players and coaches reflected on their journey. Coach Alexandre "alecks" Sallé expressed pride for his side:

“If you win a trophy in any year, it’s a good year. We did well in Champs, in my opinion, losing only to the top three teams. I’m very proud of their performance, especially their resilience at the start of the year”.

He noted the importance of preparation and confidence, admitting, “Sometimes your good maps become a little bit weaker. Today is one of those days where I think our reads were very off on Lotus”.

In-game leader Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto also highlighted the team’s support and the presence of his family in Paris:

“Even though we lost, I know my family is proud of me. We can rise again next year.”

Looking Ahead

Despite the heartbreak, Paper Rex’s run in 2025 featured multiple milestones, including an international trophy and a return to the Pacific throne. As Coach Jacob "mini" Harris put it:

“They know what their style is, what their identity is. It’s just about pushing that extra 10 or 15%. They’ll be really strong for next year”.

Paper Rex bid farewell to Paris with gratitude, vowing to return stronger – and their fans will be cheering for another comeback in 2026.

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Featured Image Source: Liu YiCun/Riot Games