Paper Rex Lose 2-0 to Nongshim RedForce and Drop to the Elimination Bracket With Their Champions Slot Already Safe
The Singaporean side went down on Abyss and Split in the upper quarter-finals on Wednesday, but championship points had already booked their place in Shanghai.
Paper Rex lost 2-0 to Nongshim RedForce in the upper quarter-finals of VCT Pacific Stage 2 on Wednesday 26 August - 13-7 on Abyss, 13-10 on Split - and drop into the elimination bracket. It costs them bracket position and prize money. It does not cost them Shanghai.
The results so far
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| NS RedForce v Paper Rex | 2-0 (13-7 Abyss, 13-10 Split) |
| Global Esports v DRX | 2-1 (11-13 Lotus, 13-8 Ascent, 9-13 Abyss) |
DRX drop to the elimination bracket alongside Paper Rex. Stage 2 runs to 6 September, with the final weekend in Busan, South Korea, and a 250,000 US dollar prize pool - 100,000 to the winner.
Why the loss does not end their tournament
Pacific sends four teams to VALORANT Champions: two through the Stage 2 playoff finish and two through the regional championship-points leaderboard. Paper Rex are already through on points. That is the practical value of a consistent season over a hot month, and it is why their remaining matches are about seeding rather than survival.
Champions Shanghai
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 24 September - 18 October 2026 |
| Host | Shanghai, China |
| Teams | 16, four groups of four |
| Format | GSL double-elimination groups, double-elimination playoffs, Bo5 grand final |
Seven of the sixteen places are filled: JD Gaming, TYLOO, EDward Gaming and XLG Gaming from China, Team Vitality and FUT Esports from EMEA, and Paper Rex from Pacific.
The other Southeast Asian sides
Team Secret beat Xipto Esports 2-0 in the play-ins before losing 0-2 to Nongshim RedForce. Rex Regum Qeon reached the play-ins from the group stage and lost to Sharper Esports. Neither is in the Stage 2 playoff bracket.
Following it on Playdash
Playdash prices VALORANT with series winner, map handicap, correct map score, total maps and total rounds, plus per-map markets on round winner, first blood, pistol rounds and race to a set round number. Champions outrights and to-reach-playoffs markets are open now, and Pacific matches run in the Southeast Asian evening with live in-play pricing map by map.
Results, dates, format and qualification status as published by VCT Pacific coverage and Champions qualification trackers. Champions venue and prize pool were not confirmed at the time of writing on 27 August 2026.