The VCT Pacific League is entering its fourth week, and it’s time for Day 1 preview, brought to you by VALO2ASIA.
SOUTH KOREA — In the first match of the day, DRX will face off against Paper Rex. the Korean powerhouse have dominated all three of their opponents and has all five of its players among the eleven best-rated players in the league. However, Paper Rex’s recent win over T1 shows promise, and their new addition, Ilia “something” Petrov, may give us something to look forward to in this match.
In the second match of the day, Team Secret will face off against Rex Regum Qeon. The match has the potential to be even more exciting than expected, with former teammates Jeremy “Jremy” Cabrera and Eroll Jule “EJAY” Delfin facing off against each other. RRQ just secured their first league win last week and have undergone changes behind the curtain, including a new in-game leader.
Paper Rex vs. DRX (Saturday, April 15 – 5 PM SGT)
| Paper Rex | DRX |
| 🇸🇬 Benedict “Benkai” Tan 🇲🇾 Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee 🇮🇩 Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto 🇮🇩 Aaron “mindfreak” Leonhart 🇸🇬 Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie 🇷🇺 Ilia “something” Petrov 🇹🇭 Patiphan “CGRS” Posri 🇫🇷 Alexandre “alecks” Sallé (Head coach) | 🇰🇷 Kim “stax” Gu-taek 🇰🇷 Goo “Rb” Sang-Min 🇰🇷 Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul 🇰🇷 Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan 🇰🇷 Kim “Zest” Gi-seok 🇰🇷 Jung “Foxy9” Jae-sung 🇰🇷 Pyeon “termi” Seon-ho (Head coach) 🇰🇷 Kim “glow” Min-soo (Coach) 🇰🇷 Kwon “Argency” Soon-woo (Coach) |
| Previous matchups: | Previous matchups: |
| vs. T1 (WIN 2-0) | vs. Talon Esports (WIN 2-0) |
| vs. Team Secret (LOSS 1-2) | vs. Global Esports (WIN 2-0) |
| vs. DetonatioN FocusMe (WIN 2-0) | vs. ZETA DIVISION (WIN 2-0) |
| vs. Cloud9 (LOSS 0-2) | vs. LOUD 2-3 (LOSS 2-3) |
DRX and PRX will face off in an exciting matchup between a father and son to start the week.
DRX have been displaying an outstanding performance as one of the most well-prepared teams in the current league. They have shown dominance by defeating all three of their opponents so far, making them look like an unstoppable force. Although there were some minor setbacks in their match against Global Esports, they were able to secure a victory nonetheless. A win is still a win.
As we move into Week 4, DRX are faced with the challenge of defending their dominance against Paper Rex, who are looking to get back on the horse after an unstable period. Paper Rex’s recent win over T1 was very much a team effort, with Indonesian duo Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto and Aaron “mindfreak” Leonhart more or less back to normal after recent struggle – a good sign going forward.
Given DRX’s uncontested record so far, it is unsurprising to see all five of its players among the eleven best-rated players, with MaKo ranking at the summit with a 1.28 VLR rating. Meanwhile, Jung “Foxy9” Jae-sung has also shown solid forms, particularly in his impact on the attacking side. His ability to open up rounds has been exceptional, with the second-highest 0.27 opening kills per round and 0.95 kills per round. The highest-ranked player in these statistics? It is Ilia “something” Petrov, Paper Rex’s new addition.
It was a highly anticipated moment when the former Sengoku Gaming star made his debut in Seoul last week. The debutant managed to meet the expectations that had been set for him, although it was somewhat overshadowed by f0rsakeN’s sudden return to his old form.
There’s a fair share of history between the two teams from previous international events, having met in two previous international events in Berlin and Reykjavík, with both events resulting in victories for the Korean side. Moreover, there is a sense of camaraderie between these two teams, which is sure to make for an exciting matchup.
The head-to-head, if we were asked before Week 3, is clearly in DRX’s favor, but looking at how Paper Rex played last week with something, it wouldn’t surprise us to see a close series, depending on whether trio f0rsakeN, Jinggg, and something play as well as they normally did.
Team Secret vs. Rex Regum Qeon (Saturday, April 15 – 8 PM SGT)
| Team Secret | Rex Regum Qeon |
| 🇵🇭 Jessie “JessieVash” Cristy Cuyco 🇵🇭 Jayvee “DubsteP” Paguirigan 🇵🇭 Jim “BORKUM” Timbreza 🇵🇭 Jeremy “Jremy” Cabrera 🇵🇭 Adrian “invy” Reyes 🇸🇬 Lionel “lenne” Lim 🇺🇸 Evan “Warbirds” Olzem (Coach) | 🇮🇩 Hagai “Lmemore” Tewuh 🇮🇩 Saibani “fl1pzjder” Rahmad 🇮🇩 David “Tehbotol” Monangin 🇵🇭 Eroll Jule “EJAY” Delfin 🇵🇭 Emmanuel “Emman” Morales 🇵🇭 James “2ge” Goopio 🇿🇦 Marthinus “Ewok” Walt (Head coach) 🇩🇪 Lukas “yb” Gröning (Analyst) |
| Previous matchups: | Previous matchups: |
| vs. Gen.G (LOSS 0-2) | vs. DetonatioN FocusMe (WIN 2-0) |
| vs. Paper Rex (WIN 2-1) | vs. ZETA DIVISION (LOSS 1-2) |
| vs. Talon Esports (WIN 2-1) | vs. Gen.G (LOSS 0-2) |
| vs. Natus Vincere (LOSS 0-2) | vs. FUT Esports (LOSS 0-2) |
Viewers may want to consider hiding their chat during the stream of the second match of the day, as it will be a showdown between Team Secret and Rex Regum Qeon.
Team Secret have put up an impressive performance so far, despite their form seeming a bit shaky last week against Gen.G.
In contrast, RRQ have just secured their first league win against DetonatioN FocusMe, which suggests that they may be in better shape than previously thought. They have undergone several changes behind the curtain. The absence of Emmanuel “Emman” Morales in the VCT Pacific series so far suggests that the team’s initial plan of having a six-man active roster was abandoned following the São Paulo event two months ago.
Moreover, Saibani “fl1pzjder” Rahmad has taken over the role of in-game leader from David “xffero” Monangin. It’s evident that RRQ are putting in a lot of effort to qualify for the playoff stage, with changes being made left and right.
Meanwhile, Jeremy “Jremy” Cabrera will once again meet his former Hashira teammate Eroll Jule “EJAY” Delfin on the other side of the server. It’s Team Secret’s win on paper, but with them having shown some vulnerabilities against domestic opponents in the past, this match has the potential to be even more exciting than expected.
VCT Pacific Week 3 standings:
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Cover photo courtesy of VCT Pacific
