VCT Masters Grand Finals Showdown Decided! Paper Rex Gets Their Revenge, Powering Their Way to the Championship Match | Live from Santiago
Alright, all you VALORANT fans still burning the midnight oil, our trip down to Santiago, Chile, has kept us on the edge of our seats right up to the very last moment! The first stop of the 2026 VCT season just wrapped up the Lower Bracket Final with a result that has the Pacific region absolutely buzzing. Our pride and joy, the team that just doesn't know how to quit, Paper Rex (PRX), delivered a true epic, BO5 classic. They dismantled North America's last hope, NRG, with a 3-1 scoreline, fighting their way through the lower bracket to secure a spot in the Grand Finals!
From Heartbreak to Revenge: The Kings of the Pacific are Back
Remember just a few days ago when NRG sent PRX packing to the lower bracket? All the doubters were quick to write them off, saying their aggressive "W-Gaming" style had been figured out. Well, today, PRX sent a clear message to the world—give them a second chance, and they'll take back what's theirs. This wasn't just a ticket to the finals; this was a sweet, sweet revenge game.
The start had me sweating bullets. NRG came prepared on their own map pick, Pearl, with keiko looking absolutely dialed in, taking the first map 13-8. Seeing NRG with all that momentum, I was genuinely worried PRX might fall into that familiar "slow start" trap and get steamrolled. But our Pacific princes weren't having any of it.
Clutch Time: Heroes All Around
Starting from the second map, Bind, PRX fully committed to the "W-Gaming" mentality. The shift in their pace was like a team switching gears seamlessly. f0rsakeN, in particular, stepped up huge when his team needed him most. He shed his usual lurking role and whipped out the Operator for a flashy four-piece, and that final pick onto brawk is going to be one of the enduring images of this VCT Masters.
- Map 2 - Bind (13-7): something gets rolling on the Operator, completely shattering NRG's economy.
- Map 3 - Lotus (13-6): Jinggg uses Raze's Showstopper to outplay and tilt NRG, throwing them completely off their game.
- Map 4 - Breeze (13-9): Even after NRG clawed back five straight rounds, coach alecks called a massive timeout, and the fiery speech he gave in the huddle got the boys locked back in to close it out.
A match like this isn't about the stats; it's about the aura. Any veteran player knows that when a team like PRX builds up that confidence, their fluid, overwhelming attacks become simply unstoppable.
NRG's Missed Chance and PRX's Shot at History
Of course, credit where it's due to NRG. As world champions, their shallow map pool outside of Pearl was something PRX exploited perfectly today. It just wasn't meant to be for Ethan to become the first player ever to hold two World Championship titles and a Masters trophy. For PRX, after grinding out this hard-fought win, they're now just one step away from becoming the first team in VCT history to go "back-to-back" as Masters Champions (Toronto 2025 + Santiago 2026).
The Ultimate Showdown: Facing Nongshim RedForce
Take a breather, because the Grand Finals are up next. PRX will face their Pacific League comrades, Nongshim RedForce (NS), who have been waiting fresh from the Upper Bracket. This isn't just a regional face-off; it's a clash of two completely different playstyles. NS is a terrifyingly disciplined and coordinated team—they're not about brute force. The big question is: can PRX just run their chaotic "W-Gaming" system straight through them? Or will they need to show the same kind of smart, adaptive gameplay they used to outmaneuver NRG today?
My money's on PRX. The momentum they've built fighting through the Swiss stage and the lower bracket is insane. They're peaking at exactly the right time. And let's not forget, countless fans back home are sending all their energy through their streams.
And for everyone asking about highlight reels of a certain Woosh (Jinggg), or looking for specific VTVCab VODs of the matches, or even checking out that Chief VCTUB XL universal, tool-less projector mount that's been popular with streamers for their second monitor to watch the games—all that peripheral hype is hitting a fever pitch right alongside PRX's victory. That's just the magic of esports, right? Winning makes everything better.
Catch the Grand Finals tonight (March 15th local time)! No matter what, PRX has already carved the Pacific region's name deep into the history books here in Chile. Bring it home, boys!