Paper Rex and LOUD will meet for the first time this season when they clash in the Valorant Champions 2023 upper-bracket semifinals on Saturday, August 19.

On Wednesday, LOUD got their revenge for losing the VCT 2023 LOCK//IN S?o Paulo final, handing Fnatic their second defeat of the season. They did it without using their Viper-Harbor combo, which makes the 2-0 sweep all the more impressive. But considering how inconsistent LOUD have been this season, it’s fair to question whether that win was a complete fluke.

Paper Rex have yet to lose a map this tournament. The VCT Pacific League champions are very innovative with their strategy, which, in combination with raw individual talent, makes Paper Rex a serious candidate to go all the way and claim the Valorant Champions title.

They cruised through the group stage with 2-0 wins against KRU Esports and EDward Gaming, to which they added another sweep of FUT Esports in the first round of the playoffs. Much of their success is thanks to Paper Rex’s high-pace playstyle, which forces opponents to use their utility very early, and that could be a problem for LOUD given how they like to play.

LOUD impressed with their win against Fnatic, but based on what we’ve seen, Paper Rex might be the scariest team left in the tournament. This is PR’s game to lose.

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