G2 Esports and PRX delivered one of the standout matches of VALORANT Champions 2025. Following the loss, G2 will now face DRX.
Paper Rex (PRX) vs. G2 Esports was one of the tournament’s most anticipated matchups, with two potential finalists clashing in the opening match of the VALORANT Champions 2025 Playoffs. At the press conference, the team reflected on what could have gone better and what they need to improve for their next match. At the time, they did not yet know they would be facing DRX.
G2 vs PRX at Champions 2025: The problem with the clutch moments
The clutch moments against PRX were the hardest ones, in Nathan "leaf" Orf's opinion. "On Lotus, we lost 5v3 because I whiffed. Even though I played good, I feel like there's even more that I could have done," he said. "We should have had it in the bag." Jacob "valyn" Batio agrees with this point, adding that "There's only one winner and it obviously suchs to be the loser of it. I think there's a lot we can look at, and we did great."
Regarding their lower bracket run, G2 insists they are not worried and are focused on refining their strategy, expressing excitement to see who they face next. Coach Josh "JoshRT" Lee believes Paper Rex was more efficient, “taking a lot of space and manipulating us in certain ways,” he explained. “It felt like tit-for-tat, a tough battle of macro and, at times, micro, in how we coordinated as a team.”
Jonah "JonahP" Pulice believes Paper Rex’s chaotic playstyle suits him, as he tends to overthink and thrives in fast-paced, fight-heavy situations rather than calm, methodical strategies.
The love-hate relationship with Corrode
Most Asian teams tend to avoid the map Corrode, whereas North American teams have developed a strong affinity for it. Coach JoshRT believes that G2 is very confident when playing on this map. He stated, "Despite our losses in the Americas, we viewed it as an opportunity to learn and understand the map in a live stage setting."
As of this article, Corrode has been picked 11 times and banned 12 times since the tournament began. So far, it has a 50/50 split between attack and defense wins. While not the most popular map, Corrode isn’t the most banned either. Bind, Ascent, Abyss, and Sunset see bans more frequently. G2 Esports will play against DRX at the Lower Bracket run on Sept. 27.
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