Paper Rex has put an end to Rex Regum Qeon’s 'miracle run' to claim the VCT Pacific Stage 2 title.

Paper Rex looked near-perfect throughout this VCT Pacific Stage 2, marching straight into the finals. After finishing top of the Omega group with a 4-1 record in the regular season, Paper Rex knocked out T1 in the second round of the playoffs and swept Talon Esports 2-0 to secure a direct spot in the finals.

In contrast, the finalists Rex Regum Qeon had to navigate a minefield to reach the big stage. Following a 1-2 loss to T1 in the first round of the playoffs, Rex Regum Qeon dropped to the lower bracket, where they ignited a comeback by defeating Gen.G 2-1. They then systematically eliminated three Korean teams—DRX in the second round and T1 in the third, both with 2-1 scores.

In their match against Talon Esports on the 30th, Rex Regum Qeon looked all but finished after dropping the first two maps. However, they found their footing from the third map onward. They dominated the fourth map 13-6 to force a decider. Despite facing match points against Talon Esports in the fifth map, Rex Regum Qeon clawed back three consecutive rounds to force overtime, eventually securing the victory and a dramatic ticket to the finals.

Yet, Paper Rex had no intention of letting Rex Regum Qeon’s 'miracle run' continue. In the opening map, Bind, Paper Rex started on the attack, leading 9-3 at the half, and eventually closed it out 13-8. On the second map, Ascent, Paper Rex took 10 consecutive rounds from the start, finishing 13-7 to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

After dropping Lotus 6-13, Paper Rex sealed the deal on the fourth map, Haven. Leading 8-4 at the half, Paper Rex secured the pistol round and the following two rounds to extend their lead to 11-4. They eventually closed the map 13-7 to hoist the trophy.

Paper Rex has now cemented their dominance by winning VCT Pacific 2023, VCT Pacific Stage 1 2024, and now VCT Pacific Stage 2 2025. The champions received a prize of $100,000 (approximately 140 million KRW), while the runners-up, Rex Regum Qeon, took home $65,000 (approximately 90 million KRW). The Finals MVP went to Ilya 'something' Petrov, who led Paper Rex with a +22 K/D differential and was awarded a golden keyboard for the effort.

Meanwhile, the Korean squad DRX secured the final remaining ticket out of the four allocated to VCT Pacific for Champions Paris. Though DRX was considered a lock for Champions after topping the VCT Pacific Stage 2 Alpha group, their path became uncertain after a lower bracket round two loss to the reinvigorated Rex Regum Qeon.

The fate of DRX rested entirely on the shoulders of Rex Regum Qeon. For DRX to make it to Champions, Rex Regum Qeon had to defeat Talon Esports. When Rex Regum Qeon pulled off that dramatic reverse sweep at the LALA Arena on Saturday the 30th, the DRX players—who were watching from a viewing party in Korea—were seen embracing one another, even sending their thanks to Rex Regum Qeon.

As a result, DRX qualified as the 4th seed for the Champions event in Paris, France, joining fellow Korean side T1 in the hunt for the title. DRX now holds the record for five consecutive appearances at Valorant Champions since its inception in 2021, a streak shared only with the EMEA side Fnatic.