Inside a Coach’s Mind: PRX alecks

We sat down to talk to Paper Rex’s head coach Alexandre “alecks” Sallé, ahead of their opening game at the VALORANT Masters Shanghai playoffs.

SINGAPORE – Paper Rex is a team that needs no introduction, a household name to many fans of VALORANT esports, they’ve created notoriety around them for being electrifying to watch, captivating to follow, and enjoyable to support.

Maybe it’s the way they’ve popularized their W GAMING playstyle, enthralling audiences with a much more entertaining brand of professional VALORANT than what fans were seeing from other teams prior; perhaps it’s also how they’ve been humble throughout their wins and graceful in their defeats, or even the fact that they’ve kept a consistent core and lineup since their inception, three years in the making.

Whatever the reasons may be, you rarely see a team whose coach is arguably just as well loved and known by fans around the world as much as the players are, and that’s why today we’re getting insights from everyone’s favorite desk-smashing, team-loving, and endearing W GAMING coach in Alexandre “alecks” Sallé, as he shares what’s new with the team, how he feels about their consistent success, and more.

ALSO READ: Inside A Coach’s Mind: Gen.G HSK & T1 Daeda

Lessons From The Past

To prepare for the future, one must look to the past so as to not repeat prior mistakes in a team’s history, learning and improving on what might’ve gone wrong previously. In this case, coach alecks shares how they finally won a BO5 (best-of-five) series after four consecutive BO5 losses, and what it took to finally bounce back. Funnily enough, he didn’t realize it’s been so long since they won a BO5, but listen in to his response below for yourself:

PRX alecks: “Can’t believe it’s been five really, to be honest with you, but then.. Wait, it’s been five since we won against DRX? Holy cow. Honestly, I don’t know. We told ourselves the best way to do this would be to win the first map because we haven’t won the first map in a BO5 ever I think. We told ourselves that we wanted to win the first map, we didn’t win the first map but I think the difference is they were more relaxed this time I think.

I don’t know to be honest, there’s a lot of things we’ve been trying. We’ve been trying to work on the mental side of things, I think that’s a big part of it. I think it’s not a stamina problem or anything else but it is a self-confidence or belief problem I think. Like sometimes these kinda games can be really grueling, and if you make a mistake at the wrong time and you let your team down it can really bother you, and I think that’s what we’ve been really working on, we’ve been working on trying to make sure that we come in with a better mood, we come in with a better mindset.”

While internal struggles from each individual can certainly affect the team’s mental during a match, he also mentions that external factors such as outside expectations, or even dreading the loss of one of their cherished teammates have certainly played a hand on their losses in the past, stating:

PRX alecks: “To be honest i’m not really sure cause this takes like a lot of honesty and self-reflection from the players and from me during discussions for us to comment. Maybe we focus on the wrong things, too much anti-stratting, or not enough focus on our own game, or were thinking too much about winning, or pressure from, for example [2023 VALORANT] Champions was due to pressure. The pressure was so immense trying to win because we thought that that would be the last iteration of the roster, that one was crazy.

There are a lot of things to deal with in a BO5. If we somehow make it to Shanghai finals, it’s gonna be “Oh, can Paper Rex finally win a Masters?” or “Can Asia finally win a Masters?” It’s the same for Gen.G, right? These things, we need to learn to not let it affect us, I mean if we don’t win, we don’t win, it shouldn’t matter that much, like we get on, we’ve got our lives and we try again next time. But as much as I can say that, it’s difficult. So I think. I really went around this answer [chuckles] but it’s about mental strength. We’ve been working on mental strength and I think it did make a difference.”

As we heard from coach alecks, the mental game is something that definitely is a priority focus point of improving the strength of a team.

Outside pressure, narratives, and expectations are things that he shares have gotten in their way in the past, as he references VALORANT Champions 2023, the grand finals series they had against Evil Geniuses wherein part of their loss he attributes to them worrying about Wang “Jinggg” Jie’s final run with the roster for the foreseeable future at the time. Luckily, that final part has changed, as the full core of the roster is now back in play, and Paper Rex can look forward to the upcoming playoffs in full strength without having to worry about some of the factors that plagued them the last few times.

Relentless Consistency

However, that doesn’t mean they’re coming into VALORANT Masters Shanghai without the external pressure of eyes watching, or more accurately, expecting. While various teams have different stories and expectations of them by fans and critics alike, for the #1 seeded Paper Rex, who are also now tied with the DRX and OpTic cores at the top of the consecutive global LAN events attended after qualifying eight times in a row (Masters, Champions, and KICKOFF tournaments), the projections of how they will or should play in the public eye grew significantly.

When asking their coach alecks on how they stayed consistent, while also sharing his thoughts as they tie the record for consecutive global LAN appearances, he had this to share:

PRX alecks: “I mean to be fair to the DRX core and the OpTic core I guess they’ve changed rosters, right? So who’s to say that they wouldn’t have continued their streak if they had the same roster, you know? If they stuck to the same roster I don’t believe FNS is not gonna make it like he’s one of the best IGLs, and the same for DRX; their roster is very good, and they only made a change because they want to get even higher. Sometimes you have to take a step backward to go forward, and I think that’s what DRX is doing. 

As for consistency I think it helps that we have the same roster. I mean you see FNATIC also they just went on a crazy run, and I don’t believe if they changed rosters they’d be able to do that. So having the same roster really matters. I think the fact that we’re probably the most experienced team in Pacific right now, yeah we are, i guess we are? We are the most experienced team, there are [more] experienced players around, but as a team, as a core, I think we are. I think it helps to deal with pressure, we’ve learnt to deal with pressure. Sometimes it’s what gets you over the line.

Like certain rounds go your way, and you know how to mentally reset, you know how to do the thing that helps you win, or at least you know how to pull your teammates with you if you need to. If you’re not playing well, you know how to contribute.”

While he pays his respects to great teams like the OpTic and DRX cores, he also uses those as references as to how much of a factor sticking together really helps build out a team. Their consistency can definitely be attributed to how little they’ve shaken the team up, while incrementally still adding improvements to the roster, both in who is playing in it, as well as fortifying the strengths of the players already in the team. In which case, he presents Aaron “mindfreak” Leonhart as an example of the team’s individual development of each player.

PRX alecks: “I can point to mindfreak, like he didn’t really play well during map 3 and map 4 (of the VCT Pacific Stage 1 Grand Finals), and even then he knew how to reset himself and to make sure that when it mattered the most, he was there for us in map 5.

I can point to Reykjavik 2022 when we first started this streak. That same event on Split against ZETA DIVISION, I think mindfreak had a terrible terrible Split, and he was playing Omen on B, so it’s like deja vu [from] two years ago. He was not playing very very well, and in that match, he couldn’t pull through, and now, we won map 5 [while] he was playing Omen once again, it’s like deja vu. But then this time he knows how to contribute, he’s become a better player, he’s become a more experienced player, and the occasion doesn’t overwhelm him. I think things like that matter, just having the most experienced team is really a huge advantage in a league that’s just constantly changing. It’s always in flux

Every year it’s gonna be new players, new teams, and new rosters, some teams will stay the same, and some teams will radically change. I mean, we have a good chance of going for the [consecutive] record if we make Champions. I think that’s the real reason, just a consistent core. I mean [it’s] also the fact that the players are really really bloody good. They are incredible. I’m blessed to have five of the most talented players.. six if you count Cahya (Monyet), of the most talented players around.”

Those individual developments are certainly a large part of what’s been working for Paper Rex. From mindfreak developing into a clutch master, to Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto becoming their key flex player, playing anything they need when he used to be their main duelist, to Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee becoming an always reliable rock of the team; it wasn’t easy to find that success, but Paper Rex did it by keeping consistency a priority. 

A Winning Culture

Clearly, alecks as a coach sees his team’s individuals as more than just his players, as he shares his connection with the team being a crucial part of them developing into their best form throughout the years. This is especially true with the two most long-standing players of the Paper Rex core in mindfreak and d4v41, who he also played with on the former Paper Rex CS:GO roster, before transitioning to being their coach. He brings up that growing with them throughout the years has set a standard for the rest of the team’s newer members to follow and learn from, stating:

PRX alecks: “I think the more senior players which is basically d4v41 and mindfreak, they know my personality and I know their personality, and I like to think if you’re a senior in a team people follow your example. I think the players see how I work with d4v41 and how I work with mindfreak, and they know how to act accordingly.

And I think we have a very open relationship, it’s not very ‘I tell them what to do’ kind of thing. I value the feedback they give me, and they know that they can give me feedback anytime they want, or if they’re not happy with what I do, they can talk to me, and I don’t take it personally. And I think having that relationship with the two senior players allows the rest of the younger players to actually see like oh this is “how we’re behaving”, and it helped build a more cohesive unit because I’m closer to them now

I mean they are very different from the time they played CS:GO. When they played CSGO I was maybe like eight years older than d4v41 or something like that. They were ‘kids’ when I was playing with them, and I was basically in my late 20s, so now they’ve grown up, their playstyle is different, and their personalities have changed. I think the fact that I kind of grew up with them a little bit—I mean I probably grew up later because I was still playing games too much trying to be a pro player [chuckles]—I think that relationship does help.”

This familiarity he has with them is something that many coaches in the VCT don’t have the luxury of, and it’s perhaps why Paper Rex has been able to keep their core together for so long, as opposed to many other rosters that have disbanded over the years. Creating a dynamic where everyone is allowed to have equal input is an inviting way to pull out all the best ideas a team can offer.

As it stands, PRX are one of the longest cores still together, which is a feat in and of itself, but that core still staying consistently near the top, while even reaching new heights every now and then is an accomplishment that can’t go understated. 

And yet, Paper Rex have yet to win it all. To take home the trophy at a global LAN is a feat that truly cements a team in VCT history. Perhaps the pressure to do that with what seemed like one final chance is what brought the team down during the finals of 2023’s VALORANT Champions, as alecks mentioned earlier. 

After so many events played, with the most consecutive global events attended, two grand final second-place finishes, Paper Rex are coming into the event as by far one of the most experienced teams there as a core. And with that experience as a team comes one of the most invaluable lessons: preparation. This not only comes to the in-game side of things such as strategies and protocols, but also the mental side of things. As coach alecks shares once more about what’s different about preparing for Masters Shanghai this time around:

PRX alecks: “I think in every event, I learn a little bit about how to prepare better, whether I need to do more anti-strating or less anti-strating, [or] maybe we need to work on ourselves more. I think we’re not doing anything very different [this time]. We’re going to try and do what we did for Champions, which is to make sure that we don’t burn out during the tournament. 

Madrid was a little different because we were in crisis mode; we had to change comps. So after a match, we had to play the next day. So there were things like after the match, [we] get back in the room for at least two hours so that we can run through new tactics and then clarify what everyone needs to do, do the anti-strats, and wake up in the morning so that we can brief the rest of the team and the game plan. They would leave earlier and I would stay a bit later and wake up really early so that I could watch the games. That I want to avoid. I don’t wanna do like so much last-minute work. I understand sometimes a little bit is necessary, because sometimes, you might play Monday, and then Tuesday, and then Wednesday, you know? That kind of thing, it does happen. But if I can avoid it, I will. I wanna give the players ample rest.

We’ll just try not to burn out. It’s one thing to fly to Madrid and have seven hours of jetlag or fly to America and have like an insane amount of jetlag, but we’re flying to China this time, so I think the risk of burning out is a lot less, and maybe we can actually be a little more intensive this event.”

The added prep time is certainly a benefit the top-seeded teams get to enjoy for preparation and relaxation, but alecks also wants to take the time to bond with the team even moreso, seeing as how other teams have further utilized their time outside the server to strengthen the team. An example he notes is Karmine Corp, and how they have dedicated time to further getting closer to each other as a team

PRX alecks: “I do want them to also experience Shanghai and that’s something we didn’t really do for the past Masters events. I want to bring the boys out for some team bonding.

I noticed that one thing that Karmine Corp did which was quite cool was that they had a lot of team sessions where they would just be hanging around, talking as a team. I think that’s nice to see, because usually what we do is we do all this, we do a lot of practice in the training room and then when it’s time to relax we go our own separate ways, but I think that’s down to personality. I’m okay with it if the boys are like ‘okay its time to go talk to my girlfriend’, ‘time to relax a little bit’, ‘work time is over’, and I’m happy for them to go do their own thing

But I do think that in every event I learn a little bit more. I observe all the other teams and I try and ask questions if I can to some of the coaches when I see them. So I try to implement all these little things. I think this time, we will try to maybe hang out a little bit more, and maybe explore Shanghai together a little bit. If we have a day or two free, we just get our minds off the game. I think it is something we can do. We didn’t really do that in Champions, for example

It’s become clear that coach alecks is interested in making sure this team’s bonds are tight-knit. Of which, I figured I’d give a quaint suggestion as to how they can further strengthen their camaraderie, of which a funny response from alecks ensues:

Interviewer – blackenBlue: “You guys should’ve done one of those onsens when you were at Masters Tokyo then.”

PRX alecks: “Yeah we should have but y’know.. my boys are a little bit shy, I went with my manager [Joshua “JdFaker” Fok] *chuckles*. They [the players] were like ‘hell no’ on getting naked [laughs]. But I would love to, I think it’d be good team bonding, it’d be very awkward but it’d be good team bonding.”

Interviewer – blackenBlue: “I mean that’s one way to get close right?”

PRX alecks: “For sure”

So if you see the Paper Rex boys at an Onsen all together in the near future, you can thank yours truly *wink*

Looking Onwards

All fun aside, the team knows that there’s a lot expected of them. Over time, the team has grown immensely in dealing with in-game pressure; what to do in clutch moments, and how to reset yourself in the game. But it’s the pressure from the outside that seems to be an aspect the team is still working on the most. With what alecks mentioned earlier, a lot of the general audience is looking at Paper Rex and wondering when their big win will finally happen. 

As he shares “We always feel that way, I mean I don’t know,” in regards to if they feel like there’s still a target on their back coming into the tournament, which is a lot more brief than what he shares about the eyes looking at them on the big stage, and what people forecast of their performance:

PRX alecks: “To be honest, I always get worried when people start to say ‘Oh you guys are gonna win this event’, I feel like its unnecessary pressure [chuckles]. I always get bothered by it, but it is what it is. I think it’s a sign that people recognize that we’re playing well. I always believe we can play better of course, but then if people are saying we’re gonna win the event, if people are saying we’re power ranking #1, that kinda thing, yeah okay fine, I have to deal with it eventually. In the past it was always like I didnt really like it but I guess, nowadays I look at it as community approval. Glad with what we’re doing, keep doing what you’re doing and hopefully we’ll be up there in the top four.

Perhaps alecks is trying to be humble by only shooting for a top-four finish, or maybe it’s because they know the true prize everyone is clamoring for is the one waiting at the end of the year, a VALORANT Champions trophy. Either way, if Paper Rex qualify into Champions Seoul, they would have extended the record of most consecutive global LAN appearances to nine events, a number that no other team is close to breaking just yet.

The Southeast-Asian based Paper Rex have quickly grown to household stardom, from the organization to its players, and even its coach, for being the ever friendly, lovable, electrifying team that they are. They’ve even turned their former competitors into their biggest fans, with players like North American FPS veteran Pujan “FNS” Mehta donning the PRX jersey on stream in full support of the team, it’s no wonder why people are enamored to follow this team so much.

We hope that this brief interview with coach alecks has shared a bit of insight into the inner machinations of the team’s lead and in essence the team itself. And trust me guys, as much as he might be smashing desks on the coach cam during any given match, coach alecks is a lot more chill in person. Perhaps that demeanor extends to the rest of the team as well, given how every player on this team has proven themselves invaluable to the winning effort.

Paper Rex are coming into Masters Shanghai playing their opening game straight into the playoffs, as they are the #1 seed of the Pacific region in the tournament. Only time will tell how their extended prep time has benefited them in the end, of which we can only watch with bated breath as to what Paper Rex have in store once more.

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Cover photo courtesy of Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games