Paper Rex defeat Team Liquid, TYLOO suffer shock loss to G2 Esports on Champions 2026 opening day

The opening day of Valorant Champions 2026 saw Paper Rex defeat Team Liquid 2-1, while G2 Esports produced a shock 2-0 win over TYLOO. The world championship, organised by Riot Games, brings together top teams from the four VCT regions: Americas, EMEA, Pacific and China. The results sent Paper Rex and G2 Esports into the upper bracket and pushed TYLOO into the lower bracket. Paper Rex will face G2 Esports on September 29, 2026 for the first playoff spot. TYLOO will meet Team Liquid in a decisive lower-bracket match. The series between Paper Rex and Team Liquid went to three maps. Paper Rex started well on Ascent, controlled the pace and took an early advantage. Team Liquid responded positively on Haven, brought the series back to parity and forced a deciding map. On Lotus, the two teams traded rounds closely; Paper Rex used d4v41's standout moment to close the map 13-10 and win the series 2-1. something, whose real name is Ilia Petrov, was the most prominent player, using Yoru throughout the series and recording 58 kills and 33 deaths. Khalish Rusyaidee, known as d4v41, produced an Ace on Lotus and played a key role in Paper Rex's victory. On the first map, something received a warning from the referee for shooting at an opponent's corpse after a kill. Riot Games had announced the ban on this behaviour before Valorant Champions 2026. something later disclosed the warning on his personal X account. Paper Rex stayed focused after the warning and continued to play steadily. This was the first enforcement of the new rule on opening day, showing that Riot Games is tightening competitive-conduct standards at the highest-level event. The warning did not directly affect the match result but set a precedent for future cases. In the other matchup, G2 Esports defeated TYLOO 2-0. TYLOO entered the tournament as the No.1 seed from VCT China and carried high expectations. However, G2 Esports controlled the match and secured a convincing win. On Sunset, G2 Esports closed the map 13-3. TYLOO made many mistakes from the second half of map 1 and could not turn the situation around. The win came amid reports that babybay, whose real name is Andrej Francisty, and valyn, whose real name is Jacob Batio, will not continue with G2 Esports next season. Despite that, G2 Esports played comfortably and confidently. The loss to G2 Esports sent TYLOO to the lower bracket. With the upper-bracket and lower-bracket format, TYLOO still has one chance to advance. TYLOO will face Team Liquid in a decisive match. The match carries great significance for the VCT China representative, because another defeat would eliminate them from Valorant Champions 2026. Meanwhile, Team Liquid had just lost 1-2 to Paper Rex and also needs to improve its form. Ognjen Bondžić, known as GSR, debuted in the new jersey and recorded a 1.06 rating, the only Team Liquid player above 1.00 in the match against Paper Rex. Paper Rex showed roster stability and the ability to handle pressure. The team stayed calm after the warning to something and finished the series with a 13-10 win on Lotus. The use of Yoru in an important series showed that Paper Rex has a flexible tactical approach. Alongside something, d4v41 left his mark with an important Ace. However, Paper Rex still needs more contributions from the rest of the squad to reduce its dependence on something's form. The match against G2 Esports on September 29, 2026 will be a clearer test of Paper Rex's strength. G2 Esports entered Valorant Champions 2026 with plenty of doubt around it. Reports that babybay and valyn could leave after next season raised questions about the team's mentality and stability. Nevertheless, the performance against TYLOO showed that G2 Esports remains confident. The 2-0 win, including a 13-3 map on Sunset, was a positive result. G2 Esports now has the chance to secure the first playoff spot if it beats Paper Rex. The match between Paper Rex and G2 Esports on September 29, 2026 is seen as the highlight of the upper bracket. Group D also attracted attention with two notable matchups. Nongshim RedForce, the Masters Santiago champion, faces NRG, the reigning champion. Xi Lai Gaming makes its international debut against Karmine Corp, the No.1 team from EMEA. These matchups show that Valorant Champions 2026 is a stage for both established teams and emerging rosters. The results in Group D will help shape the balance of power between regions. The tournament is organised by Riot Games under an official format and brings together the leading teams of the VCT. Valorant Champions 2026 is the highest-level world championship of the VCT. Teams compete in a group stage combined with upper and lower brackets. Series are played in a BO3 format. Teams that win in the upper bracket move closer to the playoffs, while losing teams drop to the lower bracket and must play more matches. This format reduces the luck factor of a single match but still creates significant scheduling pressure. For TYLOO, dropping to the lower bracket after a 0-2 loss to G2 Esports is a disadvantage, but it is not the end of the road. Individual statistics on opening day showed that something was the standout player. Playing Yoru and posting a kill-to-death ratio of around 1.76 underlined something's Duelist role in the Paper Rex lineup. d4v41 did not have kill numbers as prominent as something's, but his Ace at a decisive moment was highly valuable. Team Liquid's GSR recorded a 1.06 rating, the highest on his team. G2 Esports' babybay and valyn had no specific individual data in the report, but their presence remained a talking point. These figures all come from a single source and have not been independently verified. Opening day at Valorant Champions 2026 also marked a change in how Riot Games manages competitive conduct. The ban on shooting at an opponent's corpse was announced in advance and enforced on the first day, showing that the tournament is moving toward a more professional image. The warning to something did not directly affect the match result, but it created a precedent for future cases. On the competitive side, Paper Rex and G2 Esports hold the advantage in the upper bracket. TYLOO and Team Liquid need to use their lower-bracket opportunities to keep their hopes of a deep run alive. For Paper Rex, the 2-1 win over Team Liquid was important for morale. The team proved it could overcome off-match disruption and complete its objective. However, Paper Rex's performance still raises questions about its dependence on something. If G2 Esports can shut down the star Duelist, Paper Rex will need another attacking plan. d4v41 is a bright spot in a support role, but the team needs more brilliance from the remaining members. The match against G2 Esports on September 29, 2026 will show whether Paper Rex is ready for a title run. Team Liquid produced an unconvincing performance despite applying pressure on Haven. GSR integrated reasonably well on debut, but the fact that the rookie was the only Team Liquid player with a rating above 1.00 shows that the experienced core is not at its best. Team Liquid needs to improve its ability to close maps and reduce mistakes in decisive phases. The lower-bracket match against TYLOO is a chance for Team Liquid to fix its problems. If it loses, Team Liquid will be eliminated from Valorant Champions 2026. TYLOO entered Valorant Champions 2026 as the No.1 seed from VCT China after winning Stage 2. However, the 0-2 loss to G2 Esports showed that the international experience gap remains a major challenge. TYLOO made many mistakes from the second half of map 1 and lost Sunset 13-3. The team needs to stabilise mentally and expand its map-pool depth before the decisive match against Team Liquid. The lower-bracket format gives TYLOO a chance to correct its mistakes, but the pressure has increased significantly. G2 Esports took full advantage of the opportunity to build an upper-bracket advantage. The win over TYLOO moved G2 Esports closer to a playoff spot and strengthened morale after speculation about the roster. babybay and valyn are reportedly set not to continue with the team next season, but G2 Esports still played confidently. The control of Sunset at 13-3 showed good tactical preparation. G2 Esports will face Paper Rex on September 29, 2026, a match that could shape the upper-bracket picture. The opening-day results show that Valorant Champions 2026 will be a fiercely competitive tournament. Paper Rex has made a favourable start but still needs to prove its consistency. G2 Esports has sent a positive signal despite roster speculation. TYLOO faces heavy pressure after losing to G2 Esports, while Team Liquid needs to improve its form. The Paper Rex versus G2 Esports match on September 29, 2026 and the TYLOO versus Team Liquid match will be the next important markers. The tournament continues with Group D matchups, including Nongshim RedForce against NRG and Xi Lai Gaming against Karmine Corp. The Valorant Champions 2026 schedule is tightly packed. Lower-bracket teams must play more matches and have less preparation time than upper-bracket teams. This creates disadvantages in stamina and opponent research for teams that have already lost. TYLOO and Team Liquid are both in that group after opening day. Meanwhile, Paper Rex and G2 Esports have the advantage of focusing only on their direct head-to-head. The scheduling gap can affect the ability of lower-bracket teams to go deep. Therefore, preserving stamina and maintaining focus will be key for TYLOO and Team Liquid in the coming days.