- Paper Rex stumbled early at VCT Pacific Kickoff 2026 but flipped the script with a gritty lower bracket run to qualify for Masters Santiago.
- Coach Alecks admitted early internal pressure and slow season starts hurt them, but a reset after the RRQ loss sparked their turnaround.
- f0rsakeN led the charge statistically, RRQ battled fatigue from three straight BO5s, and a sharper PRX closed it out 3 to 1 to book their Masters spot.
Paper Rex looked shaky in the opening weeks of VCT Pacific Kickoff. They dropped early, slid into the lower bracket, and for a brief stretch, the fear factor faded. However, it did not take much time to shift the gears. After grinding through DRX, Gen.G, DetonatioN FocusMe, and finally Rex Regum Qeon, Paper Rex qualifies for VCT Masters Santiago. It was not elegant, but the stubborn and reckless style of PRX was there, and we cannot wait to see more of it in Masters Santiago.
Did Expectations Weigh Paper Rex down Early?
Coming into Kickoff, PRX was expected to dominate. Many teams already expressed how they fear Paper Rex in Pacific. Instead, they stalled. When asked whether that pressure affected the team, head coach Alecks was honest.
“I mean, we’ve been together for a long time, you know, so we’ve dealt with this before. I don’t think expectations were really… an issue. I think it was more… we just weren’t as comfortable – it’s the start of the season and we always struggle at the start of season.”
While this is not an alien fact, over the years, fans and critics have started rating PRX way higher than any other Global teams. Continuing his quote, Alecks said,
“I find that, like, I might have put too much pressure on them, more than expectations. I just wanted them to play a lot better than they were, and I think that backfired a little bit for the first two weeks.”
That pressure was visible in the gameplay during the first two weeks of kickoff 2026. PRX lost to RRQ and T1 in the Upper and Middle brackets in a row. Although these were not convincing 2-0 games, Paper Rex was struggling. And that reset of mindset might have started after the RRQ game, as coach Alecks said,
“But we figured it out halfway through after a bunch of talking, and I think… that’s the turning point, you know? After we lost to RRQ the first time, we had a long talk and we figured out what to do.”
From that point, the numbers tightened up. f0rsakeN posted a 227.3 ACS across 432 rounds with a 1.14 rating. On top of that, both d4v41 and something had their moments in every game. The mid rounds looked calmer than the first two games. The trademark aggression felt coordinated again rather than rushed. Especially, with the new player invy stepping up, PRX showed why they are feared.
Is f0rsakeN Carrying, or Is PRX Still a Team Machine?
Stat lines suggest f0rsakeN was the spearhead. He led PRX in ACS and often took first contact. Moreover, his clutch and crucial 3k, and even the Aces, made unwinnable rounds work out. Still, he rejected the idea that this was a one-man rescue job.
“I think I always trust my teammates because no matter what, I think in-game, even though like I just now carry the match but, like, there’s nothing like… it’s impossible if there’s no teamwork, you know?”
Jason kept the answer simple, and from the Valorant point of view, we know how important the team game is, rather than the heroics. He also said that he believes in the aggressive play all his teammates make, so he can utilize space and keep doing what PRX does best.
There is also context worth noting. RRQ’s Lower Final was the third best of five series in three straight days. That is close to fifteen maps in seventy two hours. Fatigue is real in slow-paced tactical shooters like Valorant, where a lack of rest drops the reaction time. It can also cause communication slips. In that sense, PRX had fresher legs (or minds, I would say). It felt like an edge before the first pistol round even began.
Still, PRX did what was in front of them. They closed the series 3 to 1 and did not blink in the late rounds. Especially when the last Ace clutch was pulled off. Paper Rex qualifies for VCT Masters Santiago through the long road, and sometimes that road forges better discipline than an easy upper bracket cruise. As the players and coach said multiple times, more games give them more team time and more practice.
Pacific now sends a PRX squad that has already been tested under fire in the next stage of VCT 2026, along with Nongshim RedForce and T1. That tends to matter on the international stage. Are you excited to see Paper Rex in VCT Masters Santiago? Let us know in the comments.
