VCT 2022 - Stage 1 - Masters Reykjavik: Paper Rex

Paper Rex secured a spot at VCT 2022 - Stage 1 - Masters Reykjavík after winning the Upper Bracket Final against BLEED Esports at VCT 2022 - APAC Challengers.

Regional Challengers:

The first stop to qualification was VCT 2022 - Malaysia & Singapore - Stage 1 - Main Event, which they were able to dominate effortlessly with six consecutive wins without dropping a single map. The only team to come close to giving them a hard time was BLEED Esports, which managed to force overtime on Fracture in the Grand Finals matchup only to be defeated 18-16 and eventually lose the series 3-0.

APAC Challengers Group Stages:

The win against Bleed eSports earned them a spot at VCT 2022 - APAC Challengers. Although the opponents they were pitted against in the APAC Challengers had qualified after dominating in respective regions, Paper Rex managed to maintain consistency and repeat the same performance again. Their first matchup was against that had qualified after placing 2nd in VCT 2022 - Vietnam - Stage 1 - Main Event and then winning the Group B Play-in bracket.

However, Paper Rex became an obstacle in their tournament run as they were defeated 2-0 before they reached a double-digit score on either map. Their next opponent in the Group Stage became responsible for the first map loss for Paper Rex as they took Breeze 14-12 on Overtime. Nonetheless, Paper Rex was able to comeback stronger than ever on decider and earn a ticket to the Playoff stages.

APAC Challengers Playoffs:

With regional tournaments and Group Stages acting like filters sieving out teams based on the skill difference, the Playoff stages allegedly featured the best teams in the APAC region but only XERXIA was able to give them a run for their money since the rest of the matchups fell 2-0 to Paper Rex. It is worth noting that XERXIA faced off twice against Paper Rex in the Playoffs, once in the 2nd round of Upper Bracket and then in the Grand Finals with the latter being the more entertaining series of the two.

Winning the Upper Bracket Final against BLEED Esports was sufficient to earn them a spot at VCT 2022 - Stage 1 - Masters Reykjavík, but they couldn’t stop themselves from ending the tournament on a high note and gain a greater share of the Prize Pool by defeating XERXIA 3-2 in the Grand Finals.

Map Picks:

In recent matchups, Paper Rex has been frequently spotted choosing Split as their map pick with a 13-4 score against Bleed eSports, but an unfortunate loss against XERXIA after a 8-13 score. Nonetheless, they also occasionally alternate between Breeze and Bind as their map picks but haven’t had consistent success on those maps. A deeper analysis of the team’s tournament record demonstrates the diversity of their map pool. They have had considerable success with most maps, especially since they finished the entire VCT 2022 - Malaysia & Singapore - Stage 1 - Main Event without dropping a single map!

Players to watch:

Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto

If you know anything about the APAC scene, the mention of this Indonesian player is a must. His versatility playing different Agents and mind-blowing use of abilities was crucial to the team’s success throughout their Stage 1 run, as evidenced by the 1.24 Rating, and 270 ACS stats he boasted in the APAC Challengers despite trying out unorthodox picks like Neon and Yoru. In the Grand Finals matchup alone, he was able to get 99 kills across five maps.

Going into Masters Reykjavik, Paper Rex’s roster consists of the following:

Aaron "mindfreak" Leonhart Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto Benedict "Benkai" Tan Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie

Alex "alecks" Salle (Coach)