Paper Rex bounced back from their loss to T1 by defeating ZETA DIVISION in the VCT 2025: Pacific Kickoff lower-bracket with a score of 2-0. The win eliminated ZETA DIVISION from the competition, while Paper Rex will continue their fight against the winner of the Global Esports vs. DetonatioN FocusMe match.
The two teams have met four times before, but only once in 2024. Paper Rex have defeated ZETA in two matches in the Pacific League, while ZETA’s only win came in the Reykjavík 2022 lower bracket.
Paper Rex dropped to the lower bracket after losing to T1, despite being the favorite in the match. Meanwhile, ZETA also dropped down after losing 2-0 to Nongshim RedForce, the winner of Ascension 2024.
In the first map on Lotus, Paper Rex took the lead after winning the pistol and bonus round. Although ZETA managed to pick up a few points, Paper Rex continued to dominate and ended the first half with a score of 8-4. It didn’t take long for Paper Rex to secure victory with a score of 13-5.
In the second map, Fracture, the match was tighter than the previous map. Both teams shared a 6-6 score in the first half after chasing each other for points. Paper Rex managed to take control in the second half and won the match with a score of 13-8.
Paper Rex’s f0rsakeN explained the team composition change from Tejo to Skye in Fracture. “I got bored playing Tejo, so I wanted to play Skye today,” he said. When asked about the team to watch out for, f0rsakeN named T1. “Because we lost to them,” he explained.
Paper Rex will play against the winner of the Global Esports vs. DetonatioN FocusMe match. A win will give them a chance to participate in Masters: Bangkok, the first international event in Southeast Asia, and earn points for Champions: Paris qualification.
This win shows Paper Rex’s dominance in the Pacific Kickoff. Paper Rex is also known as a team that often performs well when competing in the lower bracket. Their strong fighting mentality coupled with the excellent skills of their roster make Paper Rex still favored to win even though they have to drop down to the lower bracket.