On Tuesday,
Paper Rex managed to get the better of All Gamers (2-1), therefore eliminating the last Chinese team in the
VALORANT Masters Santiago and earning a place in the top 4 of the tournament. Following this victory, Paper Rex's new recruit Adrian
"invy" Jiggs Reyes answered questions from
Sheep Esports. He talked about his start with the team, the kickoff in Pacific, and more.
How are you feeling after this do-or-die match against China’s first seed?
Adrian "invy" Jiggs Reyes: “I feel very happy that we got through, especially after the slow start on the first map. But I never really stopped believing in my team. I always thought we were going to win this, no matter what. And yeah, we came out on top, so I’m very relieved and happy.
Did you expect to face that much adversity today? And what was missing for you to win the first map, Corrode?
invy: We had actually played them a few times in scrims on that map, so they kind of knew how we played, and we also knew how they played. But honestly, they just had better control than us, and their game plan was on point. We lacked a strong start. We were a bit scared to take duels, timings, or risks in general. I think that really cost us the map, even though we came back a little after a very bad half.
The crowd seems completely crazy during every one of your matches. How much does it help to have fans cheering for you and supporting you throughout the games?
invy: Oh yeah, definitely. The crowd here in Chile is really amazing. I really love the way they cheer for us, and it helps us a lot. Maybe when we’re not playing so well or when we’re down a few rounds, hearing them cheer for us no matter the result means the world to me.
You’re the newest player on the roster. How has your integration gone, and how would you describe your development after one split with Paper Rex?
invy: Honestly, I’ve learned a lot from this team. I’ve learned to trust myself more, especially my decision-making and my instincts. They really made sure I trusted those because I was picked up for a reason. They think I’m a good player, so obviously I should trust myself more. As for integrating into Paper Rex, it took a while for me to adjust because there were a lot of things I needed to learn. I’m the new guy, and all of them have already been together for like two or three years. But so far it’s been great. This Kickoff tournment has been really good for building team chemistry, spending time together, playing together, and practicing together. It’s been a rough journey, but it’s been super enjoyable.
We mostly see you playing Fade and Sova. How would you define yourself as a player within this roster?
invy: My role in this roster is kind of like a support player. I mean, I can frag out, and I can also make a big impact in the game with my utility, or even without utility just by shooting. I can do a lot more than just support, but it’s more of a laid-back role: helping them and setting rounds up for them.
Paper Rex before the game against AG at Masters Santiago. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
What has changed for you personally today that has allowed you to push yourself even further?
invy: I mean, today, even after losing map one, I was just in complete zen mode. I really wasn’t thinking about anything. No pressure at all. I just had full trust in my team and full trust in the staff to give us the right game plan, and then we just followed through. And yeah, we came out on top. I guess we kind of destroyed them in the last two maps.
When you join a new roster, there are usually a lot of strategy habits and coordination patterns to learn. At what point this year did you tell yourself: “Okay, now we’re really starting to reach a very high level with this team”?
invy: Honestly, during Kickoff there was still a lot to learn. I do think there are still more things to learn, but every match and every practice is helping me become more comfortable and learn the team’s tendencies, habits, and the strategies they used to have before. Our motto in Paper Rex is to improve during the tournament, day by day, match by match, and we’re continuing to do that. Hopefully, we will show even better results in the next games.
This is your first Masters. Do you feel any pressure from the fact that PRX have consistently been one of the top teams in the world?
invy: Honestly, there’s not really much pressure because, in the first place, if we were playing in the old Kickoff format, we wouldn’t even be here. In the old format, if you lose twice, you’re out. For us, there aren’t really many expectations, especially from management. We’re just really chill. We came here with no expectations, and we’re just playing our game. So yeah, not much pressure because we’re playing with no expectations.
When you have to play so many matches in a row, what helped you stay consistent and perform at your best despite the heavy schedule?
invy: We kind of treat it like practice. As I said, our motto in Paper Rex is just to improve every match. Once we see improvement, we just keep going and make sure we come out on top, and usually we do. That’s what happened at Kickoff, and now we’re trying to do it again here at Masters. Especially with no pressure, we’re just playing and having fun.
Did you get enough time to prepare yourself and the team for this Masters?
invy: We took like a three or four-day break, then had a few days of practice. We’ve also been practicing a lot lately in between matches whenever we can. And I think so far we’ve been preparing very well. We’ve been testing out some comps here and there, changing some agents. That’s just us trying to figure ourselves out for the whole season. We’re not thinking only about this tournament; we’re thinking long term, about the bigger picture. So we’re also using this time to experiment and see what we can do in the future.
What do you think about this current meta? And if you could shape your ideal meta, what would it look like?
invy: Honestly, I think some people might call this meta boring, but personally, I think it leans toward us, toward Paper Rex, because we’re the type of team to play double duelist and just rush in, take fights, and shoot. That’s usually how this meta goes: more fighting, more shooting, less utility spam compared to last year. My ideal meta would be kind of the same, but maybe without the initiator nerfs. Having 60 seconds on the recon really hurts a lot for me. Before, I could make more plays, but now it’s more about conserving your utility for the whole round.”
