SOUTH KOREA — The Pacific region arrives in Paris with momentum and narrative. Across 2025 the four representatives — Paper Rex, Rex Regum Qeon, T1, and DRX — each carved their own story: DRX winning Kickoff, two of the region’s teams won the international Masters events (T1 in Bangkok and Paper Rex in Toronto), Stage 1 and Stage 2 shuffled the regional order with RRQ and PRX winning trophies respectively, and roster moves throughout the year sharpened several lineups into Champions contenders.
How the VCT Pacific year played out
The Kickoff of the Pacific League set the tone for the year, producing early favorites in the Korean Teams and exposing weak links in several rosters as teams juggled meta shifts (dealing with a Tejo-heavy meta). The stage fed directly into Masters Bangkok, where the first major of the year crowned T1 as champions. Stage 1 of VCT Pacific saw a recalibration: RRQ surged to the top, and despite a rocky start, PRX would barely squeeze in as the third seed at Toronto, to go on to lift the trophy.
Paper Rex also recaptured regional supremacy in the Stage 2 playoffs. The Stage 2 playoffs ultimately set the region’s two automatic Champions slots via the top two placings, and Championship Points filled the remaining Paris spots.
Masters Bangkok and Masters Toronto — Pacific’s international dominance
The year’s two Masters events provided an emphatic statement for Pacific. T1 captured Masters Bangkok in March, a landmark victory that underscored T1’s roster construction and in-event resilience, especially with how close the grand final was against G2.
PRX stepped up next in June by winning Masters Toronto, finally breaking through for their first international Masters trophy and silencing a long-running “close-but-not-quite” storyline for the organization. Those two wins—Bangkok for T1 and Toronto for PRX—made the Pacific the region to beat on international soil in 2025. That being said, here are the four teams that have qualified for Champions Paris from the region:
Seed #1: Paper Rex
Paper Rex began 2025 in familiar fashion: creative lineups, high-risk plays, and flashes of brilliance that sometimes fell short on the international stage. Their year began rough after they failed to qualify for Masters Bangkok. After a tighter Stage 1 than fans expected where they were one map away versus GE from being eliminated altogether. With a roster change and everything on the line, PRX’s playoff surge earned them a Masters Toronto berth as the last seed, and in Toronto the team completed a polished, four-map Grand Final vs. FNATIC to lift the trophy — a milestone many viewed as overdue for the squad.
Back home in Stage 2 PRX carried that momentum, finishing top of the Stage 2 table and ultimately winning the Pacific Stage 2 final to secure their Champions spot, only losing three maps along the way. Along the way, PRX made role and rotation tweaks (notably stabilizing their core around consistent callers and utility players) that paid dividends at Masters and in the Stage 2 run. Their season reads like an organization coming of age: high-risk identity refined into repeatable results.
Seed #2: Rex Regum Qeon
RRQ spent 2025 building a reputation for steady improvement and clutch playoff performances. The team performed strongly across both stage 1 and 2, and like PRX, they too missed out on Masters Bangkok. They dominated both the groups and the playoffs in Stage 1, lifting their first VCT Pacific trophy. RRQ’s Stage 2 playoff run, which included a dramatic lower-bracket push rife with comeback wins against all three Korean veterans (Gen G, DRX, and T1), followed by a lower final against TALON where they pulled off a reverse sweep.
This was followed by a Grand Final appearance against PRX, where despite their loss, RRQ showed their growth under pressure and why they deserved a top-two regional finish. RRQ’s season was notable for consistent individual peaks and a playbook that blended aggression with excellent team camaraderie. Their result locked them into Paris as Pacific’s second representative from Stage 2 and gave them momentum going into international play.
Seed #3: T1
T1’s season is the textbook example of a team hitting its stride at the right time. After a heated Pacific Kickoff where they narrowly finished second, T1 fought through the group stage, riding a clean upper bracket to a trophy at Masters Bangkok.
The Bangkok title boosted their Championship Points and regional standing, ensuring a Champions berth when you combine it with their consistency over Stage 1 and 2, despite their lack of regional trophies in 2025. T1 has been able to push so far also because of their veteran leadership like stax and Meteor blending with firepower that allowed them to adapt mid-series and in particular to close out high-pressure matches on the international stage. The best example of this was their
Seed #4: DRX
DRX’s path to Paris was less about one headline moment and more about season-long consistency aside from their opening crowning moment: their trophy at Pacific Kickoff, although their performance at Bangkok was not what they’d have liked.
They hit enough high placements across Stage 1 and Stage 2, and while they did not win a Masters event, their steady accumulation of Championship Points and playoff resilience secured them a Champions slot. DRX’s 2025 story is the reminder that the VCT qualifying system rewards stability. Roster-wise, DRX focused on developing young talent around a steady core, and that investment paid off in points and a Paris ticket.
What this means for Champions Paris
Pacific arrives in Paris with both of 2025’s international champions in T1 and PRX. The region’s run of international success this year at Bangkok and Toronto makes these teams legitimate top contenders but DRX and RRQ have proven they are not to be underestimated either. Pacific will be one of the most-watched regions in Paris, and their results so far suggest they will arrive battle-hardened and confident.
For more insights on the Asian VALORANT scene and upcoming content like this, be sure to like and follow VALO2ASIA on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Cover photo courtesy of VALORANT Champions Tour
