In an incredibly hard-fought best-of-three between the two favorites for the title, Paper Rex defeated G2 Esports 2-1 in Round 1 of the Champions Upper Bracket Playoffs. Coming off their Masters Toronto victory—where they unlocked their first-ever international title—Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto and his teammates look ready to climb to the very top of the VALORANT esports scene after this pivotal win over G2.
The Americans did not go down without a fight, with Nathan "leaf" Orf delivering a world-class performance, particularly in Game 3. For this exceptional series, Sheep Esports rated the performances of both teams and their players out of 10.

Paper Rex: 8

Even if some of the Pacific first seed’s players had slightly underwhelming moments, the team’s collective execution deserves real credit. On Game 2, played on Corrode (a map we had not seen PRX on before), the squad displayed superb rotations and entries, perfectly aligned with their trademark aggressive style. The team also rose to the occasion when it was needed to secure a really important victory in their first playoffs match.

d4v41: 6

Playing Vyse across all three maps, the Malaysian sentinel put up a solid performance—not spectacular, but reliable. His strong early game on Lotus allowed PRX to trade blow for blow with G2. His smart positioning made the difference on multiple occasions, as well as his huge plays such as his 4K in Round 18 on Corrode was a highlight. That said, he became much quieter as the series progressed, particularly in Game 3 on Ascent, which explains his rating.

f0rsakeN: 8 – MVP

The captain of Paper Rex fulfilled his role more than ever today. Whenever doubt crept into the team, he was the one to put them back on track with incredible plays: 4Ks to secure thrifty rounds, 1v2 clutches to swing momentum, really smart ultimates… Whenever Paper Rex needed a hero, he was there. This great display earns him the MVP of the match.

something: 7

The Russian duelist stuck with his Yoru throughout the series—and fans were all the better for it. The MVP of the Pacific VCT final looked sharp across all three maps. Game 1 gave us a duel within the duel as his Yoru went head-to-head with Alexander "jawgemo" Mor’s one, trading spectacular sniper shots back and forth. On Game 2, he kept the pressure up with key Operator kills, and saved a match point with a brilliant 4K. His Game 3 showed more of the same especially with an excellent pistol round and strong early half.

Jinggg: 5

Likely the quietest PRX player today. Things began well on Lotus with his signature Raze, where he had a stellar second half and posted an Average Combat Score of 247. But the following two maps were much rougher. The Singaporean struggled, even missing some unusually off-target Showstoppers in Game 2. On Game 3, he switched to Sage but faced further difficulties in the first half, but he partially redeemed himself with three separate 3Ks in the second half, balancing out some of the negatives in his showing.

PatMen: 6

PRX’s initiator proved one of the most valuable players in early-game situations today. Across every map, he was sharp in the opening exchanges—on Corrode in particular, where he tallied six kills in the first three rounds. He also won a crucial 1v1 clutch pistol on Ascent to start the second half, giving PRX the momentum they needed. Still, much like teammate Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee, he didn’t truly shine throughout the rest of the series, and at times struggled to find consistency, justifying his rating of 6.

G2 Esports: 6

Although they ultimately fell short, G2 delivered a performance worthy of praise. The team demonstrated excellent preparation, particularly on Lotus, where their coordination and mid-round calls enabled them to overcome Paper Rex’s aggressive play. On Corrode, they remained competitive against an opponent who thrived in chaos, and on Ascent, they pushed PRX to the limit with decisive early-round pressure. Although some inconsistencies prevented them from winning the series, G2 proved that they can compete with the best and made a strong impression in their opening playoff match.

leaf: 8

Leaf's Viper and Chamber were reliable. He produced useful kills at crucial moments. On the third map, he made smart trades, allowing G2 to stay in the game until the end. Despite the defeat, it should be noted that he dropped a rating of 1.27 on BO and, notably on Ascent, achieved a KDA of 30/19/3.

valyn: 3

Valyn was on Omen duty, but that didn't allow him to express himself to the fullest here. He lost a few important duels and his overall impact remained moderate. That said, he wasn't disastrous either, as his rotations and utilities sometimes stabilized the situation for G2 and got them out of some serious trouble, notably with flashes countering Paper Rex's executions.

jawgemo: 6

G2's Duelist was a real force during this series. On Lotus, he dominated in duels, particularly against Ilia "something" Petrov, and his high ACS is testament to his consistency. On Corrode, he was more discreet but delivered in key moments. Finally, on Ascent, he was able to put the pressure back on with decisive frags, but he wasn't as brilliant as he was in game one.

trent: 4

Trent's performance was the least notable on the G2 side. He rarely managed to change the course of a round, particularly due to his limited impact in terms of duels won or clutch plays. Despite a few sporadic interventions, his contributions remained low.

JonahP: 5

JonahP was slightly behind this time. He alternated between a Fade, who read all the timings on Corrode, he has nine open kills on the map, which is unusual for an Initiator, and a subpar Vyse, but neither role made a major difference. He performed consistently in some rounds, particularly in support, but lacked the "heroic moment" needed to raise his grade.