24.09.26 - 16:0024.09.2026 - 16:00·8m8 minutos de leitura·
Por Rabia Sayal
PRX something: "I did everything I could to build a momentum by shooting bodies and having fun, and then I got a warning for it"
Paper Rex defeated Team Liquid 2-1 in the opening match of VALORANT Champions Shanghai, putting the Pacific side one win away from the Playoffs. Following the series, both teams attended press conferences to reflect on the matchup and discuss their journeys ahead in the event.
Compartilhar
Team Liquid will now compete in the Lower Bracket to stay alive at VALORANT Champions Shanghai
Loading...
The opening match of VALORANT Champions Shanghai saw Paper Rex defeat Team Liquid 2-1 in a best-of-three series. As a result, the Pacific representative is now just one win away from qualifying for the Playoffs. TL, on the other hand, will have one final chance in the Lower Bracket to keep its hopes alive. Both teams attended the post-match press conference to reflect on today’s battle and their journey ahead in the tournament.
Paper Rex
Questions for Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto And Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee
What do you think separates this iteration of Paper Rex from earlier in the year, and what can help you secure the trophy in Shanghai?
Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto: “I think earlier, even though we were on the same team and always met each other, we didn't really get close with each other. That made it harder for us to play as a team and work together really well. This year, I think we've managed to build more team bonding and get to know each other better. So, in matches, I think we can have better chemistry.”
Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee: “I agree, even though four of us had been together for quite some time, having invy (Adrian Reyes) was still new for us. There was a lot of room for error, and he had to play under the pressure of performing like we did after winning the trophy last year. There was also a lot of self-doubt for all of us individually. Now, we've spent more time getting to know each other, both outside and inside the game. So, slowly but surely, I think we're getting there.”
Questions for Alexandre "alecks" Sallé
Team Liquid came into this event as somewhat of a question mark because of the recent changes involving Ognjen "GSR" Bondžić and Semyon “purp0” Borchev. What changes or adaptations did you have to make to your game plan for this matchup?
Alexandre "alecks" Sallé: “We had no idea what comps they were going to play, so we had to focus more on ourselves. Usually, in the first match of an event, even if you have a week to prepare, you already know things are going to change. So, you can't really rely on the video data. We tried to identify the common tendencies they showed throughout the season and make sure we understood their playstyle. Team Liquid's comps are slightly different at every event. So, we just had to stay calm, take whatever they threw at us, and hopefully win.
You guys are working with Martin “Anderzz” Schelasin right now. What kind of value does an outside perspective bring to the team, especially from someone who was that outside perspective for PRX last year?
alecks: It's mainly reinforcement that we're doing the right things. Anders is someone I've learned a lot from as I was coming up in space, so we share a lot of ideas. Part of it is also a competitive advantage. We can deny other teams information they might look for because, over the past two years, a team has always picked him up for Champs to get that same information. It's similar to what Mini and I did last year when he was with the team: sharing and reinforcing ideas, seeing if we can come up with anything new, and then giving that information to Alex to apply to the team.”
Questions for Ilia "something" Petrov
You said you've received some kind of warning. What's your side of the story, and what were you told to do or not do moving forward?
Ilia "something" Petrov: “It's simple. I just shot too many bodies in one match and used everything in the first match, which is okay, I guess. For me, the most important thing is winning the first match on stage, especially at Champions, to build momentum. So, I did everything I could to build that momentum by shooting bodies and having fun, and then I got a warning for it.
Was it worth it?
something: Everyone was laughing, so definitely yes.”
Team Liquid
Questions for Ognjen "GSR" Bondžić
This was your first VCT game. How was the experience, and did it live up to your expectations?
Ognjen "GSR" Bondžić: “To be honest, I was really nervous at first, especially on the first map. Then, after the second map, when we started winning some rounds, I was like, “Okay, I was made for this.” Ever since then, it’s been really fun. Hearing the crowd is so much fun, and I cannot wait to do it again.”
Questions for Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin
Harbor is usually paired with another Controller, but the team picked him as a solo Controller. What was behind that decision, and do you think his recent buffs made him this independent?
Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin: “We’re trying something, as I think most of the teams coming to Champions are. They’re trying to find something that works. Harbor got a rework, so that’s why we tried him on one map. It felt good, but let’s see how it goes in the next game. We’ll see if it’s enough or not, but on Haven, it felt good.
After this match, what do you see as the biggest positives and areas for improvement for the team?
nAts: I think we can see that what we did has potential. We just need to make sure that we add more depth to it. We also need to consider that, in the first match of the event, we had a rookie coming into a big event with zero international experience. The first match is always shaky for both teams. We just need to keep working hard and make sure that we believe in what we do. Let’s see how the rest of the matches go.”
Questions for Ivo "LohaN" Albino
You mentioned that benching purp0 for GSR was one of the hardest decisions you’ve made as a coach. What went into that decision, and what did you think of GSR’s debut?
Ivo "LohaN" Albino: “It’s a very hard decision to make. I love purp0 as a person. It’s nothing personal, but at the end of the day, this is a competition. Like in any other sport, I made a decision because I believe it gives us a higher chance of going deeper into the tournament. I think GSR is a great player. In terms of flexibility, we can take the compositions in different directions. I think he did well today. I have full trust in him, and I think it will go up from here.”
