The final four: Paper Rex and DRX advance in the VALORANT Champions playoffs

Bryan Francis Published September 30, 2025

The grand finals of VALORANT Champions are drawing closer. With only the top four teams now left in the tournament. Following the matches in the lower bracket, Paper Rex and DRX secured a spot in the top four. With this, we have seen the likes of G2 Esports, Team Heretics, GiantX, and MIBR eliminated from the playoffs. Let’s take a look at what went down during day 5 of VALORANT Champions 2025 Playoffs.

Paper Rex wins 12 rounds in a row on Lotus, defeats Team Heretics

Before this game, Paper Rex had faced off against Team Heretics twice during various tournaments. During each game, they won against Team Heretics. Going into this game, many fans were worried about Paper Rex’s mental state after losing to FNATIC, despite the team still being favorites.

• During Map one, we saw Papar Rex win 13-11 after being 8-4 down during the first half.
• In game two, we saw the roles reversed: Team Heretics completed the comeback and won the map 13-9. During this game, which was played on the map pick of Paper Rex, Team Heretics was losing 7-5. They won 6 rounds in a row on defense to secure the win.

On the decider map, Team Heretics won the first four maps out of five. Following this, history repeated itself. Only this time, it was Paper Rex who went on a winning streak for a while. They won seven rounds in a row on the attack. They continued this dominance on the defending half by winning five rounds in a row. This was a clear statement win by Paper Rex proving that they aren’t out just yet.

With this loss, Team Heretics finish their journey during VALORANT Champions 2025 in 5th place.

DRX shut down Aspas dreams of a second championship

One game that many fans of VALORANT were excited to see was between DRX and MIBR. Each of these teams has had its own set of struggles during the VCT 2025 season. Within this tournament, they both proved that they are among the best teams in their region. Going into this tournament, DRX’s team consisted of four rookies, whilst MIBR’s roster included consisted of Aspas and cortezia.

Image: Riot Games / Valorant Esports

All three maps consisted of a minimum of 23 rounds. This was similar to the record set during the G2 Esports vs Paper Rex match earlier in the playoffs. Within this 3-match series, we saw DRX complete the reverse sweep and win 2-1. If there was one player we had to highlight from this match, it’s Aspas. The Brazilian duelist has proven why he remains one of the best players in the world. While his team, MIBR, lost, he ended the game with a KDA of 76/ 51 / 8 and 18 first kills to his name. Seventy-six kills were the highest amount by any player during this match.

If Aspas were a part of a team with players who can support his playstyle, we can see him flourish. With this, MIBR has been eliminated from the tournament. Currently, the top 4 of VALORANT Champions 2025 consist of the following teams:

• Fnatic
• NRG
• Paper Rex
• DRX

Fnatic and NRG will face off in the upper bracket finals. The winner of the match will be the first team to qualify for the grand finals in the tournament. On the other hand, Paper Rex will face off against DRX for the first time during a VALORANT Champions tournament. Only time will tell which VCT Pacific team will secure their spot in the lower bracket finals.

Featured image: Riot Games / Valorant Esports