Paper Rex and Fnatic move to VALORANT Champions Paris Upper Semifinals

Paper Rex and Fnatic have won the opening matches of the VALORANT Champions Paris Playoffs, setting up a clash against each other in the Upper Semifinals.

In a thrilling set of games, the two sides defeated G2 Esports and DRX respectively, both by 2-1, sending their opponents down to the lower bracket.

As expected, the clash between PRX and G2 delivered exactly what VALORANT fans had hoped for. Two of the top contenders went head-to-head in the very first round of the Upper Bracket, and right from the start, every round had fans on the edge of their seats.

The opening map, Lotus, began with an impressive pistol win from G2 Esports, but PRX immediately responded with a thrifty in the next round. Neither team managed to build a clear lead, with the score sitting at 6-6 at half-time.

G2 then took four rounds in a row to gain a lead, but PRX answered back with four back to back round wins before closing the map at 13-11.

On Corrode, PRX got a dominating start by securing the first three rounds, but G2 clawed its way back, forcing yet another 6-6 half. The second half went back and forth, eventually pushing the map to overtime. There, G2 delivered two stellar rounds to push the series to the third map.

It came as a surprise when Paper Rex banned Haven and allowed Ascent through, given it isn’t the team’s one of the stronger maps. That seemed like a costly decision early on as G2 raced to an 8-4 half-time lead. However, PRX turned the tables in the second half by winning six consecutive rounds.

While the American opposition tried to fight back, Paper Rex closed the map by 13-11 and sealed the series by 2-1.

The second match of the day was nothing less than a massive heartbreak for DRX. The Korean squad dominated early on Haven, building a commanding 10-1 lead that made Fnatic look like a rookie team. But Fnatic pulled off a jaw-dropping comeback, losing just one round in the second half to snatch a 13-11 victory.

Fnatic carried over the momentum to Ascent with two quick rounds, though DRX still didn’t lose its confidence and fought back. After another 6-6 half, Fnatic took the scoreline to 8-6, but DRX then thrashed the EMEA roster in the rest of the rounds to claim a 13-8 win and force a decider.

On Lotus, however, Fnatic were unstoppable as it crushed DRX by 13-5 to secure the series by 2-1.

The next set of matches at VALORANT Champions Paris will put Team Heretics up against MIBR, while NRG will face GIANTX. 

Team Heretics appear to have finally regained the form it displayed back in 2024, while MIBR is showcasing a fresh approach to the game with Andrew ‘Verno‘ Maust stepping up as IGL.

When it comes to NRG, the team has already defeated 2024 Champions winner EDward Gaming and DRX in the Group Stage, whereas GIANTX has surprised many with its strong run so far in the tournament.

All games will be streamed live on the official VALORANT Champions Tour Twitch and YouTube channels.