Paper Rex’s Cinderella story came to an end this morning as Evil Geniuses stopped them with an updated strategy to win the grand finals of Valorant Champions 2023 grand finals in Los Angeles, USA. The North American sensation finally received its first major trophy after nearly three years on the Valorant professional circuit.
The two underdogs had already played each other in the finals of the top group, which the Paper Rex won dramatically. EG who dropped to the lower bracket finals, then beat the reigning winner, LOUD, and moved on to the grand finals to meet PRX once again, motivated by the need for redemption after the humiliation in front of their fans.
Playing Split for the first map, EG were trailing as fans expected Paper Rex to clear the game. Soon after, thought, they changed the tides and pushed the Singaporean back, concluding the first bout 13-10.
The setback, however, did not deter PRX, as the Pacific champs turned up the pressure and responded in the second game in Ascent. Although EG was able to hold their ground, thanks to the excellent performance of Max “Demon1” Mazanov, PRX was playing better in the last three rounds and evened the scoreboard.
The chants of Southeast Asia supporters gradually became louder as the game began its third set in Bind, one of PRX’s favorite maps, with the squad fielding their much-anticipated draft combination of Yoru, Brimstone, and Skye. However, things were not going in the intended direction, as EG outsmarted them with a draft to counter their aggressiveness. EG’s in-game captain Kelden “Boostio” Pupello led his team to a successful assault, winning the third game by a landslide score of 13-5.
As EG approached the match point, PRX needed to win the fourth map to even the score and drag the game to the fifth set. Lotus quickly turned into a fierce battlefield, with both of them intensely fragging on each other and keeping it tight. However, PRX eventually fell to the relentless pressure from EG, who maintained their composure and controlled the last rounds to win 13-10.
With their victory versus Paper Rex, EG have broken their championship drought and earned a cool $1 million for their achievement. Nonetheless, it was an amazing run for PRX, especially given how far they’ve come since last season. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for them in 2024.
