The first OFF//SEASON tournament in China, the VALORANT Radiant Asia Invitational, has come to an end. It was held at the Quantum Media VSPO Sports Center in Chengdu, where the top 8 teams from the Pacific and China international leagues competed for a yet-to-be-announced prize pool.
The Teams Journey to the Final
DetonatioN FocusMe
The Japanese club DetonatioN FocusMe showed their best performance of the year after forming a new roster during the OFF//SEASON. They reached the tournament final, defeating strong teams such as the current world champion EDward Gaming, Rex Regum Qeon, Trace Esports, and Paper Rex, whom they faced again in the final.
Paper Rex
The Singaporean team had a slightly weaker group stage than their opponents, finishing with a 2-1 record. However, their match against EDward Gaming was particularly noteworthy, as they won 2-1 in favor of the Singaporeans. In the playoffs, the team faced difficulties, eventually losing to DetonatioN FocusMe in the upper bracket final.
Key Moments and Results
Due to their history of encounters during the tournament, DetonatioN FocusMe were considered the favorites in the grand final, and they showcased this on the first map, Ascent. An impressive first half ended with a 9-4 score in favor of DFM. However, in the second half, Paper Rex showed their true potential and secured the match 13-10.
The second map, Haven, followed a similar pattern. The first half ended with a 10-2 lead for DFM, and it seemed like the events from the first map were repeating, as Paper Rex began catching up. But DFM learned from their previous mistakes and closed the map 13-6, claiming their first victory.
The final and decisive map, Pearl, saw Paper Rex demonstrate the power of their long-standing roster. The first half was entirely dominated by the Singaporean team, ending 10-2 thanks to excellent teamwork led by f0rsakeN. In the second half, the situation remained unchanged, and Paper Rex secured the victory, closing the match 3-1 and winning the first Chinese OFF//SEASON tournament.
Top Players and MVP
As expected, Paper Rex captain Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto earned the MVP title of the tournament. The team has been built around his play for years, and this victory at the VALORANT Radiant Asia Invitational is further confirmation of that strategy's success.
Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee, a key Paper Rex player, also deserves special mention for once again bringing victory to his team. His performance in the final was among the highest, with 210 ACS. Additionally, Ibuki "Meiy" Seki from the opposing team, DetonatioN FocusMe, is a young talent making his mark on the Tier-1 scene. Despite the loss, he achieved the highest stats of the final with 218 ACS.
Memorable Moments
Before the grand final, a showmatch was held with Chinese players, and surprisingly, Ukrainian CS:GO and CS2 star Alexander "s1mple" Kostyliev also participated. He was part of the YYB team, leading them to victory with 18 frags as Raze, entertaining the Chinese audience before the main event of the tournament.
Prize Distribution
- 1st place - Paper Rex
- 2nd place - DetonatioN FocusMe
- 3rd place - Trace Esports
- 4th place - DRX
The VALORANT Radiant Asia Invitational, the first OFF//SEASON event held in China, concluded with a memorable final in which Paper Rex defeated DetonatioN FocusMe. This event marks a new chapter for the esports scene in Asia and will be one of the most unforgettable moments for fans of the Chinese scene.
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