On Wednesday,
Paper Rex announced the extension of the contracts of Khalish “
d4v41” Rusyaidee and Ilia “
something” Petrov, ensuring that the story of the
Masters Toronto champions continues into 2026. The Singaporean powerhouse entered the
VALORANT Champions Paris 2025 as one of the main favorites but fell short in the lower bracket semifinals. However, this setback doesn’t mark the end of this roster’s journey — the core of the team is expected to stay together and fight for another shot next season.
A new season for this roster
Joining the project back in February 2021, d4v41 has been the cornerstone of Paper Rex and one of the most recognizable figures in VALORANT esports. Alongside Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto, something has been his longest-standing teammate throughout the team’s evolution. The Russian star is PRX’s elimination machine — always near the top of the scoreboard and crowned MVP of VCT Pacific 2025 Stage 2 for his dominant performances.
The year didn’t start perfectly for Paper Rex, as they finished 7th–8th in the Kickoff event and missed out on Masters Bangkok, the first global tournament of the season. That marked the organization’s first absence from an international LAN since Champions 2021 in Istanbul. Their resurgence came quickly, though, with a third-place finish in Stage 1 behind Gen.G Esports and RRQ, followed by a first-place finish in the qualifier for the Esports World Cup.
Champions in their sights
In Toronto, Paper Rex showcased the full extent of their skill and synergy. After finishing third in the Swiss Stage, the Singaporean squad entered the Masters playoffs strong, opening with a match against G2 Esports. From that point on, no one seemed capable of stopping d4v41 and his teammates. PRX swept G2 2–0 in the quarterfinals, then Sentinels 2–0 in the semifinals, and crushed Wolves Esports by the same score in the upper bracket final to reach the grand final. Against Fnatic, the match was fiercely contested, but Paper Rex ultimately prevailed — claiming the organization’s
first-ever international title.
After that triumph, the Southeast Asian organization couldn’t quite replicate the same success, though they still delivered strong performances, including a Top 4 finish at the Esports World Cup after falling to Gen.G in the semifinals. Returning to Korea for their regional league, Paper Rex secured first place in Stage 2 and once again earned the title of top contender heading into Champions Paris 2025. Unfortunately for them, their run ended just shy of the podium, finishing fourth after a surprising loss to DRX.
Header Photo Credit: Riot Games
