G2 Esports succeeded in maintaining their outstanding run in Masters Shanghai, taking down Paper Rex in the process.
G2 Esports shut their doubters with a big win over 
Paper Rex on VALORANT Champions Tour 2024: Masters Shanghai. All players of G2 Esports were outstanding in proving they belonged in the grandest stage of them all. With this win, G2 Esports will proceed to the next stage as Paper Rex dropped to the lower bracket.
When they are in the zone, Paper Rex is the unquestionable king of clutch. And that title will not go away from them anytime soon with how they play in VCT 2024 APAC Stage 1. With Jinggg's return to the team, Paper Rex looked even better and was one of the favourites to win the whole tournament.
On the other side, G2, as the representative of the Americas and one of the newest teams in the VALORANT Champions Tour 2024, has the motivation to make a name for themselves in the international scene. Their run on the Swiss stage proved they could be a side to be reckoned with, taking down 2 of the other region representatives. This clash of rising and established stars was something to behold.
As one of their best map, G2 Esports chose Split to be their map pick for the first game between Paper Rex and them. However, Split was statistically one of Paper Rex's best maps of all time. With how both teams were well-versed in the map, one of them will have the bragging rights to call them the best in Split.
The start of the game was a disaster for G2 Esports. They couldn't control the aggressive nature of Paper Rex with double duelist composition. The trio of Something, Jinggg, and Mindfreak secured a minimum of 10 kills in the first ten rounds. The first half was something that G2 Esports didn't want to remember as they were obliterated 11-1.
In the second half, however, G2 Esports looked more alive. The Ascension-promoted team was able to control the first six rounds of the second half with only losing 1 round. However, they couldn't stop Paper Rex from securing the win as they lost 13-7, moving into Map 2, Lotus.
Lotus was a different story for both of them. G2 Esports looked to overcome their demon and forget the first map completely as they looked more confident in their play and able to match Paper Rex's tempo in the first half. Icy, after getting battered in the Raze duel on Map 1, completely flip the script in the first half of Lotus.
G2 maintained the momentum coming into the second half with how confident they were right now after figuring out how PRX was playing. This time, the double duelist comp didn't work too well for Paper Rex as the G2 Esports double controller controlled them. With the comp, G2 dominated in the second half, playing in defence and closing the series 13-10.
Coming into the decider, only one side looked ready to fight as both fates were contested in Bind, another robust map for both teams. It was G2 that was ready for mingling as they thoroughly dismantled Paper Rex in the first half. They got a 10-2 lead coming into the second half as Icy, Trent, leaf and Valyn did what PRX's trio of Something, f0rsaken, and Jingg did in the first map; They got a ten kills minimum for themselves.
Nothing was different in the second half as they closed the series 2-1 and advanced to the semi-finals, waiting for their opponent. PRX, meanwhile, would have to struggle from the lower bracket and compete for their life every time.
