NS Francis after PRX loss: “Yoru… has to go in the trash can” – VCT Pacific Stage 1 interview

Hotspawn had a chance to speak with the newest Masters winner Francis after Nongshim RedForce fell to Paper Rex in their rematch of the VALORANT Masters Santiago grand final during Week 1 of VCT Pacific Stage 1. The Korean squad suffered their first loss in the official circuit since their opening stage loss at Ascension Pacific in 2025, while Francis found himself playing agents like Breach after locking in Yoru the whole year.

Despite a first map win in Overtime, Paper Rex were able to convincingly close out the second and third maps, and Nongshim were unable to work their usual magic. We asked Francis what he thought went wrong today for the Nongshim squad, as well as how he’s been dealing with the meta changes as the roster looks to qualify for Masters London; the top three teams from Stage 1 of VCT Pacific will be representing the region at the tournament.

Hotspawn: After your historic win at Santiago, this was your first loss in a while.

How is the team dealing with this defeat?

Francis: “Of course, it’s been a while since we lost a match, since Ascension Bangkok. Since it’s been such a long time, I get flashbacks to the times when we were going through hard moments and weren’t in a good position. Of course, I feel bad because we lost, but we don’t really have anything special we do to get over it. I just hope the feeling goes away quickly.”

Hotspawn: The map veto looked very different compared to your last match against Paper Rex.

Do you think that played a role today?

Francis: “I don’t really think Paper Rex had the upper hand in the map pick-ban. I think we had a lot of trouble getting into the new meta, adjusting to it, and finding what fits us and what we can do better.”

Hotspawn: Yoru has been heavily nerfed.

As one of the standout Yoru players from Santiago, how has that affected you?

Francis: “After Yoru got nerfed and I tried playing him, I thought maybe it’s not that bad and could still be viable. But after a few matches, I felt like no, this has to go in the trash can. So after that, I focused on practicing new agents and trying to find new comps. I think we’re still in the process.”

Hotspawn: What do you think about the new agent?

Francis: “I think it’s a really good agent. But when it comes to team synergy and team fights, it can make things harder if there’s a mismatch.”

Hotspawn: You had a big lead on Fracture before Paper Rex came back.

How did you maintain composure and close it out in overtime?

Francis: “During the game, no matter the score, I don’t think we’re going to lose. Even when they had match point, I believed it was a score we could come back from. What I do is look for weaknesses, figure out how to overcome ours, and exploit theirs. That’s what I did on Fracture.”

Undefeated no longer 🫡

Paper Rex end Nongshim RedForce’s 14-match win streak at #VCTPacific Stage 1. pic.twitter.com/Wse4jstyYP

— VCT Pacific (@vctpacific) April 4, 2026

Hotspawn: You dominated Paper Rex on Split in Santiago, but today was different.

What changed?

Francis: “Honestly, the Yoru nerf was the biggest part. The situations and plays we used to do didn’t work anymore, and overall we made too many mistakes.”

Hotspawn: Your Operator play was a big factor in Santiago.

Has moving away from Yoru affected your ability to use it?

Francis: “Yes, after Yoru got nerfed, there’s less opportunity to pick up the Op. But it is still the beginning of the meta, and I’m getting used to doing what I need to do. With other agents, I think there will still be plenty of chances to use it.”

Hotspawn: Paper Rex seemed to dominate first kills today.

Was that due to the meta or something else?

Francis: “It’s not really related to the meta or comps. It’s just that something was lacking (from our side).”

Despite the opening loss, Nongshim look ready to figure out the meta and find a way to qualify for Masters London, with that being the ultimate goal. This was only week one, and in Francis’ words, finding out what fits them and they can do better is the team’s priority.