Paper Rex claims first VALORANT Masters title after emotional 3–1 win over Fnatic

Paper Rex claims first VALORANT Masters title after emotional 3–1 win over Fnatic

TORONTO – After years of near misses, Pacific representatives Paper Rex finally stands at the top of the VALORANT world as they defeat Fnatic 3–1 in the VALORANT Masters Toronto grand finals inside the Emercare Center on Sunday, local time.

It was redemption for the Singaporean organization, who previously fell short at international titles—once in Masters Copenhagen 2022 and again in VCT Championship 2023.

This time, Paper Rex’s determination and experience paid off. The team survived a grueling four-map series against an experienced Fnatic side to secure their first international trophy.

Comeback wins

Despite conceding the first four rounds on Sunset, Paper Rex bounced back to lead 8–4 by halftime. Fnatic rallied late to close the gap to 9–10, but Paper Rex regained control, taking four of the last five rounds to claim a 13–10 win. Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto led the charge with 22 kills.

Icebox was a test of nerves. The two teams traded rounds, forcing overtime at 12–12. Fnatic’s Kajetan “kaajak” Haremski, playing Jett, tallied 32 kills to power his team to a narrow 17–15 win, tying the series 1–1.

In Pearl, Fnatic controlled the early game with a 7–5 halftime lead, but Paper Rex surged ahead with sharp execution, allowing only three more points from their opponents. A 13–10 finish put them ahead once again, with Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee leading the team with 20 kills and four assists.

Lotus proved to be the final battleground. Paper Rex built an 11–7 lead before Fnatic responded with five unanswered rounds. However, PRX regrouped just in time, as veterans f0rsakeN and Ilia “something” Petrov stepped up to close the map 14–12, sealing the series and the championship.

Staying calm under pressure

For Paper Rex head coach Alexandre “alecks” Sallé, the key to victory was a shift in their approach.

“I think we just realized that the most important thing for us was to be a lot more calmer, you know, rather than rushing things,” he said during the post-match interview. “We usually try to rush things too much.”

f0rsakeN, who was named VALORANT Masters 2025 Toronto MVP, credited the team’s mental strength.

“For all of the four boys, I think we get used to, like where when we get beaten up, I think our mentals are already strong enough to handle it,” the Indonesian said.

Onward to Champions

With the win, Paper Rex bags USD 350,000 and seven VCT points, moving them closer to a VCT Champions 2025 berth later this year. The team and all but one players added a title after two VCT Pacific wins, as Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza scored his first major title of his career.

Both teams will have a chance to redeem or retain their glory in the upcoming Esports World Cup in July for a shot at the USD500 thousand top prize.