Southeast Asian powerhouse Paper Rex (PRX) has kicked off its 2026 campaign in spectacular fashion, clinching back-to-back titles at the Radiant International Invitational in China. The victory was particularly sweet as it marked a successful debut for the team’s newest signing, Filipino star Adrian “invy” Reyes, and ended a long-standing losing streak against regional rivals Gen.G.
The tournament, which featured elite international squads like G2 Esports and FunPlus Phoenix, served as a high-stakes testing ground for updated rosters ahead of the next VCT season.
A Debut to Remember for Invy
Just days after officially joining Paper Rex from Team Secret to replace Masters Toronto hero Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza, invy found himself lifting an international trophy. While the team started slowly in the group stages with narrow losses to FPX and Gen.G, they found their “W-Gaming” rhythm in the playoffs.
Invy’s integration into the roster appeared seamless, providing the flexible firepower and utility support the coaches had hoped for. “The win sees Reyes lift his first trophy with Paper Rex, just a week after exiting his longtime squad,” noted analysts, signaling a potential shift in power for the upcoming VCT Pacific circuit.
Breaking the Gen.G Curse
The Grand Final was a classic Pacific derby against Gen.G, a team Paper Rex had failed to beat in their last six encounters a drought lasting nearly 600 days. The series began with Gen.G dominating on Abyss (13-5), but PRX responded with a tactical masterclass.
Led by veteran Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee, who earned the tournament MVP award, Paper Rex dismantled Gen.G on the subsequent three maps: Split (13-5), Haven (13-3), and Bind (13-9). D4v41’s performance was nothing short of legendary, recording 65 kills over the four-map affair and proving that the old guard of PRX still has world-class impact.
Setting the Pace for VCT 2026
The Radiant International Invitational victory is Paper Rex’s third major trophy of 2025 (following Masters Toronto and VCT Pacific Stage 2), cementing their status as the team to beat. As the “Paper Rex Express” heads into the 2026 Kickoff, the rest of the world has been put on notice: the addition of invy has only made their trademark aggressive style more dangerous.