The Valorant Champions 2023 playoffs are in full swing, and every day we watch exciting matches that determine the fate of various teams. Next up, we have the upper bracket semi-final where Singapore's Paper Rex will face the Brazilians from LOUD. Let's assess the current state of the teams and make a prediction on who will emerge victorious.

LOUD's Form

The reigning world champions weren't the main favorites for the championship until recently. This is because their season results have been quite inconsistent, with a 2nd place finish at VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo, victory in the regular VCT 2023: Americas League season, and a disappointing 7-8 place at VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo. All these point to the fact that LOUD isn't as strong as they were last season, and after winning the championship title, they might have lost their motivation for new victories. The group stage was challenging for the team, losing their first match against DRX 1-2 but then comfortably beating Team Liquid 2-0 and edging out NAVI 2-1 to secure a playoff spot. After their first match, opinions about LOUD shifted positively, mainly due to their victory over favorites Fnatic. The latter were the main contenders to win against the Brazilians and were considered by bookmakers to be the main contenders for the championship title. LOUD proved that they deserved the title of champions, decisively beating the Europeans 2-0.

In 2023, the team played a total of 22 matches, winning 17 of them, with a win rate of 77%.

Paper Rex's Form

The Singaporean team also had an intense season, starting with a disappointing performance at VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo, where they finished 17-32. Later on, Paper Rex redeemed themselves; like their opponents, they won their regular season in their region, VCT 2023: Pacific League. Their performance at the recent Masters was more successful, culminating in a bronze title and 3rd place. In the group stage of the current championship, the team emerged as a clear favorite, winning every map. Victories over KRU Esports 2-0 and EDward Gaming 2-0 secured their place in the playoffs.

In 2023, the team played 20 matches, winning 15, with an overall win rate of 75%.

Match Forecast

It's tough to pinpoint a clear favorite. Paper Rex consistently shows high results, while LOUD can have defeats but then unexpectedly beat the favorites. Until this point, the teams haven't faced each other due to the regional competition's nature, making this their first encounter. Bookmakers consider Paper Rex as the match favorites with odds of 1.75 against LOUD's 2.0. We, however, believe the Brazilians will triumph, although not without challenges. Their recent win over Fnatic showed all viewers that the champions still maintain a commendable level, boosting the players' morale.

Match result: LOUD wins with a score of 2-1.

Also read: Rumors: Ninjas in Pyjamas are planning to try their hand at Valorant for the third time.