Paper Rex vs Kru Champions LA 2023: Paper Rex strike down Kru 2- 0 as Something makes his international debut

It is Paper Rex vs Kru to get things going in Group A at Champions LA. This is a battle between two sides with similarly aggressive playstyles. So strap yourselves in for what could be one of the most action-packed match thus far at Champions.

There is plenty of intrigue surrounding both of today's combatants. Paper Rex finished in third place at Masters Tokyo despite being without their star duelist "Something" due to visa-related issues. The Russian sensation has been a monster for the APAC side since making his debut midway through the Pacific League season. He finished their league campaign with the highest overall K/D in the league whilst also boasting the third highest ACS; behind T1's Sayaplayer and Dep from Zeta Division.

Now that he is back amongst his teammates we can only imagine just how far Paper Rex will be able to go at Champions, especially given the strength of the teams in their Group. And their opponents today are certainly not going to be easy to deal with.

Of the teams many expected to see make it to Champions from the Americas LCQ, Kru was certainly not high on that list for a lot of people. And you would not have been wrong for believing that. From going the entire regular season without winning a match, to demolishing the likes of Cloud9 and Leviatán, Kru's remarkable victory in the LCQ was the stuff of legend.

The Latin American side looked a far site better than they did at the start of the season, from their play calling to their utility usage, and so on. And the man who has been at the forefront of this resurgence for Kru is Keznit. The young Chilean has rediscovered the confident demeanor which made him a force to be reckoned with in prior seasons. This was evident at the LCQ where he led in just about every major stat category in that tournament. He will need to find that same level of confidence again today if Kru are going to overcome the likes of Paper Rex today if they want to have any hope of progressing beyond the group stage here at Champions.

We kick this match off with a trip to Kru's map pick of Split. The LATAM side opt to lean in to a double-controller composition alongside Keznit's Raze and Daveeys' Chamber. Whereas Paper Rex go all in on their double-duelist composition.

Kru take the opening pistol round as well as their anti-eco to get things going on their defensive side. Paper Rex respond with a flawless round to deny Kru their bonus, as well as a fast-paced push in the first proper rifle round to take the lead at 3 - 2. The teams scrap it out in the next few rounds, as Paper Rex gradually ramp up the tempo on their attacking pushes. And they find plenty of success through the combined efforts of Jinggg and Something who combine for 24 kills in the first half. Enabling the APAC team to take an 8 - 4 lead into halftime.

Keznit puts up a 3k to give Kru the second pistol round. And they convert on their anti-eco as well before dropping their bonus to Paper Rex once more. Another multi-kill from Jinggg allows Paper Rex to break the double-digit mark but Kru continue to hang on by the skin of their teeth. But despite their best efforts, they just could not handle Paper Rex's hyper-aggressive playstyle. And in the end that proved to be the defining factor in this game as the APAC side closed out Split 13 - 7 to give themselves a 1 - 0 lead in the series. With Jinggg and Something finishing the map with a combined total of 38 kills split evenly between them.

Following Paper Rex's comfortable win on Split the teams head on over to their pick of Pearl for map 2. Kru decide to go with the traditional double-controller composition of Harbor and Viper. Whereas Paper Rex continue to stick with their double-duelist setup but with Jinggg swapping his Raze for Phoenix.

Paper Rex put together a flawless performance to take the opening pistol round of the map; their first of the series. They come up with an equally impressive showing to secure their anti-eco which allows Something to bring an Operator in to convert on their bonus. The lead only stretches to 6 - 0, with Mindfreak leading the line with a 7 - 0 K/D. Whereas Kru struggle to find any sort of value on their defensive side. The LATAM side finally manage to get themselves on the board and are somehow able to minimize the damage in this half. But it is still Paper Rex who hold the advantage in this game with an 8 - 4 lead.

Kru take the second pistol round as well as their anti-eco as they close in on Paper Rex's lead. But the APAC strike back with a vengeance to maintain their lead and break the 10-point mark in the process. Kru continue to fight on though as Keznit begins to find more impact with his Jett on their attack side. But it becomes a case of too little too late as Paper Rex find themselves on match point. And with one final multi-kill, this time from Mindfreak, Paper Rex are able to close out Pearl 13 - 8 and secure a 2 - 0 series win.

We are at the business end of the 2023 VCT season. Sixteen of the best VALORANT teams from around the world have come together in the city of Los Angeles as they fight for the right to be called Champions. Fans who wish to watch the Paper Rex vs Kru match at Champions LA may do so be heading to the VALORANT Twitch and YouTube channels.

You can also tune in via the embedded stream link down below for those who don't wish to click off of this page.

Head on over to our Champions LA hub for all of the latest news from across the tournament here at esports.gg.