In a fierce battle at the VCT Pacific Kickoff 2026, Paper Rex (PRX) successfully clinched the final spot for the VALORANT Masters: Santiago after defeating Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ) in the lower bracket finals. Their journey was not easy, especially as they were eliminated from the upper bracket and had to take a longer route before finally returning to the international stage of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT).
Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto led their campaign with an outstanding performance that reached 101 kills, including 58 deaths and 11 assists. In the series that spanned five maps — Haven, Corrode, Breeze, and Pearl — PRX showed the strength of their composure. After being outplayed in the first half of the series, they bounced back against Haven and Breeze, while the match against Pearl was close, with a crucial clutch kill from Adrian “invy” Reyes and an ace by f0rsakeN ultimately giving them the win, 13-10.
Despite RRQ's intense offense, PRX showed their championship mindset, especially in the second half of the maps where they often came back. Their determination after losing in the upper bracket and at the hands of T1 proved that they are a team that doesn't just give up. Their clean sweep in the last match against RRQ sealed their ticket to Santiago.
With this win, PRX will join Nongshim RedForce and T1 as the representatives of the Pacific region in the first international VCT event of the year. It is also a historic moment for the Philippines as invy becomes the third full-blooded Filipino player to participate in an international VCT tournament. VALORANT Masters: Santiago is set to begin on February 28, where intense action and world-class competition can once again be expected.
