d4v41’s closing ace gives Paper Rex a winning start in Shanghai
PRX beat Team Liquid 2–1 after the series goes all the way to Lotus.
Paper Rex opened VALORANT Champions Shanghai with a 2–1 victory over Team Liquid on 24 September. Malaysian player Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee finished the deciding map with an ace, eliminating all five opponents to close the series.
PRX took Ascent 13–4, but Liquid answered with a 13–7 win on Haven. The teams then went to Lotus, where Paper Rex secured the match with a 13–10 result.
The finish worth watching
The official VALORANT Champions Tour account shared the closing play, also documented in Insider Gaming’s match report. It gave d4v41 the final round of the opener and PRX their first win in Group C.
That win matters in a group stage where two defeats mean elimination. PRX move into the winners’ match, while Liquid must survive the elimination match to stay in the tournament.
A playoff place still needs another win
Champions begins with 16 teams across four groups, with eight advancing to the playoffs. The group stage runs through 4 October. Paper Rex have cleared their opening opponent; their next match offers the chance to secure a place in the final eight.
Sources
- VLR: match result and all three map scores
- Insider Gaming: match report and embedded official closing-ace clip
- Riot Games: Champions dates and competition format
- VALORANT Champions Tour: d4v41’s closing ace
Checked on 25 September 2026, Malaysia time. The match took place on 24 September. Paper Rex have won their opener; playoff qualification is still to be decided.