Advertisement

VALORANT Masters Copenhagen: Can Paper Rex and XERXIA lead APAC to the top?

An international VALORANT championship continues to elude teams from the Asia-Pacific region. Can Paper Rex and XERXIA finally get over the hump at Masters Copenhagen? Pictured: Paper Rex f0rsakeN, XERXIA Surf. (Photos: VALORANT Esports)
An international VALORANT championship continues to elude teams from the Asia-Pacific region. Can Paper Rex and XERXIA finally get over the hump at Masters Copenhagen? Pictured: Paper Rex f0rsakeN, XERXIA Surf. (Photos: VALORANT Esports)

As you probably already know, the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2022 Stage 2 Masters tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark, is near.

As anyone in the global VALORANT fanbase would probably tell you, tension is high, but so is the excitement ahead of this major tournament.

But before all the fun kicks off this weekend, let's take another look at the teams competing.

The tournament will feature 12 teams from different regions, and as expected from such a diverse pool, we're bound to see some really interesting teams.

For the third installment of this series, we look at the contenders from Asia-Pacific (APAC).

Paper Rex

(Photo: VALORANT Esports/Riot Games)
(Photo: VALORANT Esports)

Paper Rex needs no introduction at this point. The Singaporean squad have been consistently standing out in international tournaments, cementing themselves as one of the most formidable teams in the world.

One look at their past performances is enough to silence naysayers, if there are still any.

Since their rise to prominence last year, Paper Rex have racked up titles in APAC and positioned themselves as a premier international contender in the VALORANT sphere.

They've had their fair share of setbacks, of course, like their loss against Japanese underdogs ZETA DIVISION during in Masters Reykjavik, but the team have always managed to pull through.

Case in point, the team's latest victories were clean 3-0 wins against LaZe during the Malaysia & Singapore Stage 2 Challengers finals and XERXIA in the APAC Stage 2 Challengers finals.

Looking at the team's roster, it's no surprise as well, with renown players like Jason "f0rsaken" Susanto, Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie, and Benedict "Benkai" Tan leading the way.

As the Singaporean squad take to the international stage once again in Masters Copenhagen, watching them take on the best the rest of world have to offer will surely be a treat.

Make no mistake, Paper Rex are surefire contenders for the championship in Copenhagen, and APAC is hoping they can finally bring the region its first international title.

Roster:

  1. Aaron "mindfreak" Leonhart

  2. Jason "f0rsaken" Susanto

  3. Benedict "Benkai" Tan

  4. Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee

  5. Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie

XERXIA Esports (Thailand)

(Photo: VALORANT Esports)
(Photo: VALORANT Esports)

Despite being formed only the start of the year, XERXIA have quickly proven they're a top team in APAC. Even so, this underdog team are still itching to prove themselves against international competition.

XERXIA have dominated the Thailand VALORANT scene and have continually butted heads with Paper Rex for the top spot in APAC.

The team may have stumbled a bit along the way, getting swept by OpTic Gaming at Masters Reykjavik and by Paper Rex in the APAC Stage 2 Challengers finals, but XERXIA's willingness to go headfirst together has proven effective in several instances.

Such plays can be attributed to standout players like Panyaway "sushiboys" Subsiriroj and Natchapon "sScary" Mataray, both of whom are always quick to the trigger.

As such, their upcoming battles in Masters Copenhagen is worth watching out for. Could we have another underdog story in our midst? We'll find out soon enough.

Roster:

  1. Itthirit "foxz" Ngamsa-ard

  2. Panyawat "sushiboys" Subsiriroj

  3. Natchaphon "sScary" Matarat

  4. Thanamethk "Crws" Mahatthananuyut

  5. Thanachart "Surf" Rungapajaratkul

Masters Copenhagen will see 12 of the top VALORANT teams from all over the world clashing with each other from 10 to 24 July, all for the chance to reign victorious as the Copenhagen champions and claim a spot in VALORANT Champions 2022 in Istanbul come September.

For everything you need to know about Masters Copenhagen, check here.