Paper Rex just wrapped up one of the most dominant runs in competitive Valorant history, sweeping FULL SENSE 3-0 in the VCT 2026 Pacific Stage 1 grand final. Global Esports finished third. And across the entire tournament, spanning April 3 through May 17 with matches in Seoul and Ho Chi Minh City, not a single cryptocurrency sponsor, blockchain partnership, or NFT activation was anywhere to be found.
What happened on the server
The VCT 2026 Pacific Stage 1, organized by Riot Games, used a double-elimination format. Most playoff matches were best-of-three, with the lower bracket final and grand final extending to best-of-five series.
Global Esports and Paper Rex met in the upper bracket semifinals on May 8, where PRX came out on top. That loss sent GE down to the lower bracket, but they fought their way to a third-place finish, earning 6 Pacific points in the process.
Paper Rex’s clean 3-0 sweep in the grand final earned them 10 Pacific points, the maximum available. FULL SENSE, the runners-up, took home 7 Pacific points. For the three teams at the top of the standings, the tournament delivered exactly what they needed: a ticket to the global stage, with GE’s 6 points securing qualification for the upcoming Masters event in London.
