Paper Rex Come Back to Beat G2 as d4v41 Helps Book a Valorant Champions Playoff Spot

Paper Rex are through to the playoffs of Valorant Champions Shanghai. The Pacific side, with Malaysian star Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee, came from a map down to beat G2 Esports 2-1 in the Group C winners' match on 29 September, giving the Singapore-based team their fifth straight win over the American side.

That makes Paper Rex 2-0 in the group. They will not play again until the playoffs begin on 7 October.

How the series played out

G2 took the first map, their own pick, Split, 13-9. Paper Rex answered on their pick, Haven. They led 8-4 at half-time, then G2 won seven rounds in a row to swing it. Paper Rex steadied and closed the map 13-11. Earlier in the map they had put together a seven-round streak of their own.

The decider on Lotus was level at 6-6 at the break. Paper Rex were sharper in the second half and won it 13-9.

• Split (G2 pick): G2 13-9 Paper Rex
• Haven (PRX pick): Paper Rex 13-11 G2
• Lotus (decider): Paper Rex 13-9 G2

d4v41 second only to Jinggg

Wang "Jinggg" Jie was the series MVP, with 61 kills and a 1.26 rating across three maps on Raze and Phoenix, according to Dot Esports. d4v41 was close behind with 57 kills and a 1.16 rating. f0rsakeN had 21 kills on Haven and invy had 18 on Lotus.

For G2, BABYBAY led the way with 56 kills and a 1.12 rating. Jawgemo dropped 23 kills on Lotus. G2 now go to the Group C decider, where they will face the winner of the elimination match between TYLOO and Team Liquid.

Four teams through, four Chinese teams fighting to stay alive

Paper Rex were one of the first two teams into the playoffs. NRG, the defending champions, joined them on the same day by beating Karmine Corp 2-1 (7-13 on Ascent, 13-11 on Summit, 13-9 on Haven).

On 30 September two more teams went through:

• Team Vitality 2-0 LOUD. Vitality won Ascent 13-7 and then Summit 19-17. VLR.gg reported that the Summit map matched the record for the longest map played at an international event. All five Vitality players finished with more than 40 kills. Vitality reached the playoffs for the first time in their second Champions appearance.
• 100 Thieves 2-0 FUT Esports. 100 Thieves won Split 13-5 and Lotus 13-10, so both VCT Americas teams that reached 2-0 in their groups are through.

Elimination matches run on 1 and 2 October:

• TYLOO vs Team Liquid (Group C)
• Xi Lai Gaming vs Nongshim RedForce (Group D)
• Global Esports vs EDward Gaming (Group B)
• T1 vs JD Gaming (Group A)

All four VCT China teams are in these matches, so the hosts' last hope comes down to these games. Losers go home. Winners go to the deciders against G2, Karmine Corp, LOUD and FUT for the last four playoff places.

What comes next

The playoffs run from 7 to 18 October. The early rounds are at the Jing'an Sports Center, and finals weekend moves to the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong. The grand final is on 18 October. The prize pool is US$2.25 million, with US$1 million for the winners. This is the last Champions of the VCT franchise era.

Key takeaways

• Paper Rex beat G2 2-1 (9-13, 13-11, 13-9) and qualified for the playoffs on 29 September.
• Malaysia's d4v41 had 57 kills and a 1.16 rating, second on his team behind Jinggg's 61.
• NRG, Team Vitality and 100 Thieves have also qualified. Vitality's 19-17 Summit win over LOUD matched the record for the longest map at an international event.
• Elimination matches on 1–2 October will decide whether any VCT China team survives.

FAQ

When do the Valorant Champions Shanghai playoffs start? On 7 October. The grand final is on 18 October at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

Who will G2 face in the Group C decider? The winner of the elimination match between TYLOO and Team Liquid.

How much is the Champions 2026 prize pool? US$2.25 million, with US$1 million going to the champions.

Sources: Dot Esports, Esports News UK, Sheep Esports, VLR.gg, esports.gg, Hotspawn