"They're World Champion Caliber" — GE PatMen reflects on 0-3 loss to Paper Rex

Global Esports' run at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Pacific Stage 1 came to an end in the lower bracket finals, swept 0-3 by Paper Rex in what was a familiar but painful defeat for Initiator player Patrick "PatMen" Mendoza. In the aftermath, PatMen talked with THESPIKE about the series, his personal growth since leaving PRX, and what he wants to see from the next patch.

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Pacific Stage 1

Global Esports

0

X

3

Paper Rex

Lower Bracket Final, Best of 5 - May 16, 2026 - 10:00AM

6

Haven

13

4

Lotus

13

11

Ascent

13

Global Esports

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

autumn

1.03

230

50/49/9

+1

1.02

70.4%

147.8

29%

44%

7

9

UdoTan

0.95

195

39/47/16

-8

0.83

73.7%

117.5

26%

59%

10

7

PatMen

0.94

191

38/50/21

-12

0.76

79.3%

117.3

35%

50%

6

6

xavi8k

0.84

163

32/44/28

-12

0.73

72.7%

110.0

22%

20%

1

4

Kr1stal

0.75

175

38/54/7

-16

0.70

58.6%

110.9

22%

50%

5

5

Paper Rex

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

something

1.37

279

63/35/7

+28

1.80

83.3%

183.4

28%

67%

12

6

Jinggg

1.33

245

54/38/21

+16

1.42

83.5%

160.4

34%

36%

4

7

f0rsakeN

1.30

240

57/42/16

+15

1.36

81.0%

160.0

36%

64%

7

4

invy

1.16

203

40/35/33

+5

1.14

73.0%

143.9

32%

33%

2

4

d4v41

0.73

152

30/47/16

-17

0.64

70.2%

102.8

28%

43%

6

8

The Crowd Switched Sides

For PatMen, facing Paper Rex carries a weight that most players don't experience—he used to be on the other side of that roaring crowd. Having previously played for Paper Rex himself, he knows exactly what the atmosphere is like when PRX takes the stage.

"Last time, when I was part of PRX, I was also in the crowd's favorite, and now I was facing the opponent that was the crowd's favorite. I think they are very, very experienced in this kind of LAN and international events."

The crowd noise also presented practical in-game challenges for his GE teammates, who were less experienced in high-attendance LAN environments. PatMen described advising them to account for audio discrepancies, noting that footstep sounds behave differently when thousands of fans are cheering at full volume.

The Lotus Breakdown

Of the three maps played, Lotus stood out as a particularly brutal moment for Global Esports. PatMen was candid about what went wrong on a map where GE were eventually beaten 13-4.

"I think there was a round that it was 4v2 or 5v2, and then we just lost it and I think that's when our mental kind of broke down. It was really tough on Lotus because we don't have so much experience playing that map."

He also pointed to a recurring pattern, noting that GE had also fallen to Paper Rex on Lotus during the London qualifying game in Korea. The losses on that specific map highlight a clear area that the team needs to develop ahead of future appearances, and PatMen acknowledged plainly that "the team really needs more time."

Former Teammates, Now a Formidable Opponent

PatMen was refreshingly honest when assessing his former team, showing no hesitation in calling PRX exactly what they are.

"They are a really, really better team, and compared to us they have so much experience for sure. This team is really World Champion caliber—they're not an easy one. Playing against them is not just challenging yourself, but also your mental, because they love to do surprising things and some unorthodox playstyle."

He noted that PRX's unpredictability demands a level of mental readiness that goes beyond just tactical preparation, something that comes only with repeated exposure on the biggest stages. For a still-developing GE roster, that kind of battle-hardened mentality is something that can only be built over time.

From Enabler to Protagonist

One of the more revealing parts of the conversation touched on how PatMen's in-game identity has shifted since his move to Global Esports. At PRX, he described himself as a pure support player—someone who enabled his duelists and stayed in the background.

"Last time on Paper Rex, I was playing like a support role; really trying my best to support everyone, to enable the duels. Here in GE, I'm less being that. I try to be more focused on my own gameplay and my capability as a player."

This evolution aligns with what PRX's head coach alecks told the interviewer the day prior: that PatMen's ceiling has grown significantly since his time at Paper Rex. PatMen himself agreed, saying all the sacrifices he has made "in and outside the game" are paying off, adding that he hopes to "just keep continuing to get better and better."

On Nerfs, Buffs, and Cypher's Struggles

With Riot confirming that Initiators and Sentinels are set to receive buffs in patch 13.0, PatMen had direct thoughts on the current state of the meta. He pointed to the one-minute cooldown on Initiator signature abilities as a persistent pain point and didn't mince words about the Neon nerf.

"I think they really killed Neon for me. It's still playable at some point, but it's really hard right now to play it in a big league. They should just remove the sprint reset when you kill someone—that was too dominant."

On Cypher, PatMen pointed to the agent's fragility as the core problem: his tripwires can be shattered by a single Phoenix molly, a Phoenix wall, or a Raze grenade, all of which fall squarely within the current Phoenix-Raze meta. With Cypher having one of the lowest pick rates in the VCT right now, PatMen believes the agent's kit needs to be more resilient to ability damage if it is to remain relevant competitively.

Eyes on Masters London

Despite the elimination, PatMen's competitive hunger was evident when asked about Masters London. GE will be going into London as the third seed, and the Filipino has a clear team in mind that he'd love to test himself against.

"It would be nice to face G2 because we scrimmed with them last time… they were really nice people, nice players as well. I'm looking forward to facing everyone if it's possible, because playing in Pacific is really hard, and facing another region should be better for us."

He also reflected warmly on Ho Chi Minh City itself, praising the hospitality of the Vietnamese fans and admitting he is now free to explore the city properly—trying more pho, spring rolls, and coffee—now that the team's tournament run has come to a close. It was a bittersweet ending, but PatMen's composure and self-awareness throughout the interview suggested that Global Esports are still very much a team building toward something bigger.

Watch the full interview below:

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