PRX Patmen talks about Gen.G loss, the state of Filipino VALORANT, says he wants to face fellow Pinoy superstar Zekken at Masters Toronto

After a tough loss to Gen.G Esports, Paper Rex finds itself on the brink of elimination at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Toronto 2025. With one more series left in the Swiss stage, the Southeast Asian powerhouse must rally to keep their playoff hopes alive. For PRX’s newest addition, Patrick "PatMen" Mendoza, the defeat offered a harsh but valuable lesson in top-tier international play.

First career match vs. Gen.G

Heading into the match, Paper Rex initially expected to face either Sentinels or Bilibili Gaming. But with the bracket shaking out differently, the team had to pivot their preparation toward Gen.G. While PatMen had never played against the Korean squad before, the rest of the team—having already faced them twice this year—helped fill in the gaps on Gen.G’s tendencies and playstyle.

Despite the preparation, PRX struggled to find their footing. They got off to sluggish starts on both maps, and while their effort on Ascent showed flashes of brilliance, it ultimately wasn’t enough. Several early-round mistakes cost them momentum, and the team couldn’t recover in time.

PatMen noted that one off-stage issue also affected his performance: the intense stage lighting. Although he said he “didn’t want to make this a reason”, he explained that he should have requested that they dim the lights that were illuminating him, because they were affecting his vision and aim.

Filipino VALORANT players also lacking chances

Still, he’s focused on bouncing back. At just 23 years old, PatMen has already carved out a long journey through the Southeast Asian VALORANT ecosystem. Before joining PRX, he competed with several Filipino squads, including NAOS Esports, ZOL Esports, and SR Nacague, across events like VCT OFF Season 2024 - Predator League Philippines 2025 and the VCL 2025 - Southeast Asia: Split 1.

“I've been playing VALORANT for like five years in the [Philippines] scene, and I've been on tier-two and tier-three teams,” PatMen said. “There’s a lot of talent in the Philippines, but we just don’t have the same opportunities. Fewer orgs want to invest in Filipino players, I guess. There are many aspiring pros out there—but the opportunities are really low.”

His comments add to the broader conversation surrounding the tier-two ecosystem in VALORANT. While the path to tier one remains steep for many, especially in underrepresented regions, Patmen’s rise to PRX underscores how vital grassroots scenes remain for developing the next generation of stars. Still, without financial backing and long-term support, those scenes risk withering away before they can truly flourish.

A Pinoy showdown?

As for the rest of Masters Toronto, PatMen isn’t just hoping to make playoffs—he’s got a specific matchup in mind.

He’s long dreamed of going up against Sentinels, ever since the days when Tyson "TenZ" Ngo was still on the roster. But today, the reason is a bit more personal. “If I want to match up with someone, maybe Zekken,” Patmen said. “He also has Filipino blood—his mother is Filipino. It’s gonna be an exciting moment, you know, facing a co-Filipino on stage.”

For now, the focus is on survival. But if Paper Rex can pull through, fans may just get to witness that Filipino faceoff on the Masters stage.