Welcome to all you esports and VALORANT followers! On September 12, 2025, we are set for yet another electrifying clash this season on the main stage — VALORANT Champions 2025. Two teams with polar opposite histories and reputation will do battle: the seasoned Paper Rex vs. the motivated XLG Esports. Regardless of the odds being far apart, the game is bound to be entertaining, especially because those types of matches sometimes yield the biggest surprises.
From the bookmakers point of view: Paper Rex are the favourites
Paper Rex's superiority has the analysts running with confidence. The odds for their victory are approximately 1.12, while XLG's victory are estimated at around 5.4. The difference is more than obvious: these odds are typically present in matches between a settled tier one roster, against a new roster/side. Nevertheless, esports has still shown that at the Champions level, even though a favourite is a favourite, favourites can slip and underdogs can crop up with the best performance of their career. So, the bookmakers are only half right: Paper Rex is superior, but they cannot expect it to be a walk in the park.
Paper Rex: Asia’s consistent leader
Paper Rex has spent a number of years now at the top as the number one team in the Asian region. Their style of play is no secret: aggression early, fast site executions, unexpected peeks, and faith in individual skill.
Paper Rex roster: f0rsakeN, Jinggg, d4v41, something, PatMen.
This season, Paper Rex has continued its trend of pleasing fans with consistent results. They have secured seven out of their last ten victories, while they have rarely lost, particularly in the important matches against top opposition. Once again, Paper Rex excels on the big stage, controlling their psychological pressures and remaining calm under halting scenarios.The roster has always been the key to the Paper Rex success. Their best players keep delivering high-level performance. The captain has presence, leading and guiding, while his sharpshooters continue to win clutches in rounds that appear to be unwinnable. The experience and chemistry of the Paper Rex roster represent their biggest weapons.It is also key to remember that in MAY 2025, Paper Rex already faced XLG and won with confidence 1:0 in a BO3. Paper Rex knows how to face this opponent.
Throughout the Esports World Cup 2025, Paper Rex came first in Group A, losing to Fnatic in the semifinals by 1:2, and missing the grand final. Although they both would have liked to have gone through, they hoped that it would drive them to continue to showcase a higher level of play, and also demonstrated deep level of tactics. Paper Rex is currently in a state of restructuring as much as knees time has many conversations still mobius PatMen, and possibility talked about finding a replacement for Jinggg, who is deciding if Career to a coaching role. Nonetheless, they are focused, intend to compete, with a good chance of being victors of VCT Pacific Stage 2.
XLG Esports: youth versus experience
If Paper Rex stands for consistency and experience, XLG Esports is the total opposite: ''energy'' and ''audacity.'' They just recently made their international debut, but they have already began to have impacts within the professional scene. Their route to Champions came from dedication and creative ways of looking at the game.
XLG Esports roster: Rarga, happywei, coconut, Viva, NoMan
Sure, XLG does not have many championships and their performace is pretty inconsistent. Recently, they have gone from win to loss - but this inconsistency is what makes them dangerous. Their opponents literally have no idea which XLG will show up to the match: is it the team that loses to mediocre teams, or is it the XLG that takes rigorous favs to the distance? Their play style comes from aggression and horrible ideas. Sometimes this equals pure disaster, but often this leaves even the most experienced enemies - completely dis-orientated. When Paper Rex met XLG previously, PRX were sure winners. Yet every new BO3 matches tells a different story: one confident play, an odd map selection, or a clutch - can change everything.
Paper Rex vs XLG Esports Rivalry
Paper Rex and XLG Esports have only played each other one time, with Paper Rex having the win. Regardless of the fact that the teams are just a number difference in the experience and ranking, when they faced each other at the HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League 2025, this was an important match for XLG because it was the first time they were facing one of the region’s strongest lineups, for Paper Rex it was a match again to reaffirm their favorite status by playing some solid matches as previously.
Match prediction: Paper Rex vs XLG Esports
Making predictions is easy and hard at the same time. Easy because Paper Rex is objectively better than either team in every facet: experience, chemistry, and individual player quality. Hard because esports love an upset, and the BO3 format is always a potential outlier.Considering how both squads are currently performing, Paper Rex has the advantage. They are solid, and have experience, and have defeated XLG once. XLG is on the climb but if they do find their rhythm and play a bit off instinct early on they could be a threat.
Our prediction: Paper Rex to win 2:0.
DNSTY09.09.2511:00LiveBo5
ULF EsportsWatch match
