Paper Rex Clutches First Masters Title

After a long-awaited victory, Paper Rex claimed their first Masters championship title in Toronto this morning, dethroning EMEA giants Fnatic in an intensely competitive final.

This triumph marks a monumental moment for PRX fans, who have endured repeated heartbreak from dramatic losses in crucial Masters tournaments. The Singaporean squad had suffered heartbreaking defeats in Berlin, Reykjavík, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Madrid, and Shanghai.

Despite entering the tournament as underdogs due to inconsistent performances during Pacific 2025: Stage 1, PRX stunned spectators by eliminating Heretics, Team Liquid, Sentinels, and Wolves in succession. Their sole group stage loss came against Gen.G.

Meanwhile, Fnatic entered as the top seed and nearly overcame the “first seed curse,” advancing all the way to the finals. Their only setback before the grand final was a 1-2 loss to Gen.G in the opening playoff round, which sent them to the lower bracket.

Clutch up

The series opened with Fnatic establishing a strong 4-0 lead on Sunset. PRX swiftly countered, however, turning the tide to 8-4 by the first timeout. They maintained momentum in the second half, where crucial clutches by in-game leader Jason “f0rsaken” Susanto stifled Fnatic’s comeback attempts, securing a 13-11 victory.

PRX continued their aggressive tactics on Icebox (Game 2), racing to a 4-0 advantage. Fnatic adapted, mounting a fierce counterattack led by Kajetan “kaajak” Haremski and Austin “crashies” Roberts to force overtime. The duo’s relentless pressure ultimately broke PRX’s late-game strategies, handing them a 13-15 defeat.

The teams traded blows again on Pearl (Game 3). Though Fnatic led early, but PRX’s tactics proved more effective after the side switch. Khalish “d4v4i” Rusyaidee emerged as the savior in critical rounds, clinching a 13-10 win for his team.

Pushing for match point on Lotus, PRX sought a swift conclusion but faced fierce resistance from Fnatic in the second half. Kaajak and the company nearly pulled a reverse sweep, but f0rsaken delivered yet another jaw-dropping clutch to force overtime. PRX’s composure ultimately prevailed in the final two rounds, sealing a 14-12 victory.

PRX will take home the $350,000 grand prize as the champion, with f0rsaken crowned the tournament MVP.