DRX reverse sweep Paper Rex to face Gen.G in VCT Pacific 2024 Grand Finals

On the first day of VCT Pacific Stage 2 Finals Week, DRX faced off against Paper Rex in the Lower Bracket Final of the playoffs. In a thrilling Best-of-5 saga that spanned all five maps, DRX emerged victorious. Thus setting up an eagerly anticipated final against Gen.G.

Match Recap

Paper Rex started off strong in the first two maps, Abyss and Lotus. With a stellar performance by Wang "Jinggg" Jie, Paper Rex took both maps with scores of 13-7 and 13-10, respectively.

However, DRX was right on their heels as they managed to strike back on map 3, Bind. Leading by example, IGL Kim "MaKo" Myeong-kwan topped the charts as DRX won the map 13-10.

Things looked shaky for Paper Rex on Icebox as well. This time, it was rookie Cho "Flashback" Min-hyuk who carried DRX to a spectacular comeback from an 8-10 deficit to another 13-10 win.

The final map of the series was Ascent. DRX had a solid start on their defense, managing to take a 7-5 lead in the first half. With Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul putting up a spectacular performance, DRX closed out the map at a confident 13-7. And thus closed out the series 3-2, completing the reverse sweep.

Road to the Finals

This victory against the reigning Pacific champions Paper Rex means that DRX is now poised to face off against South Korean rivals Gen.G.

For a long time, DRX held the title of being number one in South Korea. However, this title was recently taken from them, as a resurgent Gen.G managed to pull off a shocking victory at Kick Off. And even won the first international tournament for the Pacific region by clinching VCT Masters Shanghai. Compared to them, DRX has seen a dip in form recently, with poor performances in Stage 1, and even failing to qualify for Shanghai outright.

After Kim "stax" Gu-taek parted ways with the team, the reins were given to MaKo, who is trying to bring the team back to their former glory step by step, piece by piece. Refusing to take full credit for this rebuild, MaKo believes it has been a team effort.

"I want to give credit to all my teammates. They are helping me with the calls. I am not doing it alone nowadays. They are helping me get through difficult situations. So honestly, the credit should be shared equally between all of us,"

- MaKo at the post-match press conference.

Now, with their next match against Gen.G, DRX will have to bring their A-game if they want to reclaim the number one spot in South Korea. Their recent victory against Paper Rex has shown their resilience and determination, setting the stage for an electrifying final against their long-time rivals. The upcoming match promises to be a clash of titans. With both teams vying for supremacy in VCT Pacific.

Stay tuned to Strafe Esports for news on the regional VCT leagues and for VALORANT Champions 2024.

Also follow the Strafe YouTube channel for exclusive interviews with players and coaches.

Featured Image Source: Riot Games

Read More:

VALORANT Champions 2024: All Qualified Teams

Heretics fall in VCT EMEA Lower Finals; Vitality to face Fnatic in Grand Finals

VCT Pacific League Stage 2 Finals Week: Clash of the Titans