Paper Rex squeezes past G2 Esports in intense fashion

In the first playoff game of Valorant Champions 2025, fans got to see two top seeds scrap it out, and it did not disappoint. Paper Rex Paper Rex Asia-Pacific Rank #1 PatMen Patrick Mendoza Jinggg Wang Jing Jie f0rsakeN Jason Susanto d4v41 Khalish Rusyaidee something Ilya Petrov defeated G2 Esports G2 Esports North America Rank #2 jawgemo Alexander Mor trent Trent Cairns valyn Jacob Batio JonahP Jonah Pulice leaf Nathan Orf 2-1 in one of the most entertaining series of the event so far, keeping their dominant international win streak all the way from the start of Masters Toronto intact.

Starting on Lotus, the two teams ran their standard Lotus compositions. G2 won the first pistol round very quickly, but were just as quick to lose the anti-eco. As the half went on, thriftys were common for both teams, as G2 managed to still put together a strong attack half despite the antieco loss, entering the half tied 6-6.

After another fast pistol win, G2 was able to convert the bonus round as well to extend the lead and reach double-digit rounds. Just as it looked like Paper Rex lost the half, f0rsakeN saved a round and stopped the momentum from G2. Then, after G2 lost back-to-back 5v3 rounds, the game was tied both at 10-10 and 11-11. Somehow, a third 5v3 slipped through G2's hands off a leaf whiff, needing overtime for a win, but Jinggg denied that and ended the map 13-11 for Paper Rex. G2 were in the driver's seat for the entire defense half thanks to an outstanding performance from jawgemo , but those three 5v3 losses cost the team an early series lead.

Next up was Corrode, a map that Paper Rex haven't played at Champions 2025 yet, while G2 have struggled on it in the past but won their last attempt to qualify to playoffs. Paper Rex selected double-Duelist yet again, while G2 ran another double-Controller with Tejo and Yoru. Paper Rex won a retake to get their first pistol win and converted the bonus, which forced an early timeout from G2. trent and leaf won a big thrifty to get G2 their first round, and did so again in a big 2v3. f0rsakeN had four amazing kills to further the PRX lead, but trent and jawgemo pulled G2 back to a 4-4 tie. Rounds continued to be traded, as the teams reached the half tied 6-6 again.

PRX won the second pistol after another f0rsakeN masterclass, but trent clutched an eco to mirror what happened to G2 on map one. G2 took a small lead, but lost a thrifty soon after, thanks to some sick Sheriff shots from something . Then, another 5v4 loss for G2 off of a d4v41 hold tied the game at 9-9. Both teams scrapped for round wins, and when it looked like a free defuse for G2 to take the series to Ascent, something clutched a 1v2 to take the map to OT. The first two OT rounds ended evenly, but G2 won the next two off of leaf and JonahP to win Corrode 15-13 and take the series to map three.

It all came down to Ascent, with both teams running double-Sentinel compositions, as PRX chose Sage while G2 ran Chamber. Paper Rex won pistol off a 2v3 retake, but G2 stopped momentum by preventing the bonus conversion and won the next three rounds to take an early lead on the attack side. It took a classic Wine tuck for Paper Rex to win their first round since their antieco, but leaf started to heat up on the attack-side Chamber. It was a very strong attack half for a defense-sided map, as G2 reached the half up 8-4, in prime position to win the map and series.

PRX needed another pistol win, and PatMen delivered, while f0rsakeN got a 1v2 clutch to secure the bonus. The 8-4 lead was gone in a second, tied 8-8, with G2 struggling to defend B-site against the layers of utility from PRX. There was a threat of a perfect half from PRX until round 19, where G2 finally got their first defense round win, even with some nervous moments. G2 tied it 10-10, marking a third close map between the two top seeds, and it ended up PRX on map and series point up 12-11. At the end, d4v41 closed it out to win Ascent 13-11 and the series 2-1.

It was one of the closest series of the event so far, with every map tense from start to finish. In the end, while f0rsakeN had some of the most clutch moments across the series, it was something that remained the star. He ended the series with a 1.29 match rating, 68 kills, +20, and a 31% headshot rate.

With this win, Paper Rex moves on in the upper bracket and will face the victor of the FNATIC FNATIC Europe Rank #1 crashies Austin Roberts Boaster Jake Howlett kaajak Kajetan Haremski Chronicle Timofey Khromov Alfajer Emir Ali Beder and DRX DRX Korea Rank #1 Flicker Kim Tae-hee (김태희) Flashback Cho Min-hyuk (조민혁) MaKo Kim Myeong-gwan (김명관) free1ng No Ha-jun (노하준) HYUNMIN Song Hyun-min (송현민) Estrella Park Gun (박건) BeYN Kang Ha-bin (강하빈) match. As for G2, who fought tooth and nail, they now have to go through the lower bracket to potentially reach the finals and get their first international title.