That guy on Reddit WAS RIGHT about the VCT Toronto winner

Paper Rex’s 3-1 victory over Fnatic in the Masters Toronto final saw the team win its first-ever global title. It also proved correct a bizarre theory hypothesised on Reddit earlier in the tournament.

Team Heretics the global gatekeepers?

The post in question, made by Reddit user smol_em0 pointed out a pattern that had emerged during Team Heretics’ global event appearances in 2024. Having attended 3/3 tournaments, the user noticed that Los Niños only ever lost to the teams that would eventually finish the respective events in first and third place.

At Masters Madrid, they lost to winners Sentinels and the third-place finishers Paper Rex. At Masters Shanghai, they lost the grand final to Gen.G, and had one previous defeat to G2, who finished third. At VALORANT Champions in Seoul, they again lost the grand final, then to EDward Gaming, and had also lost to the eventual third-place, Leviatán.

In Masters Toronto, the team infamously crashed out early with immediate back-to-back defeats. Their opponents: Paper Rex and Wolves.

The Pacific third seed would hardly be a surprising team to see in the top three, but Wolves had been largely thought of as the worst side going into the tournament. That win against Heretics was already a huge upset, and nobody expected much more from the Chinese side.

But their fairytale run in Toronto, which saw them become fan favourites, culminated in an upper bracket final spot. Though their run ended with successive losses to Paper Rex and Fnatic, the team’s efforts were universally respected. And, crucially, their third-place finish kept the bizarre Reddit theory alive.

Paper Rex beats Fnatic in the Masters Toronto final

When Paper Rex and Wolves both moved on to the upper bracket final last week, it looked like the pattern may have been reemerging. Wolves’ eventual third-place finish was not hugely surprising by that point; the key factor was the grand final.

Up against Fnatic, Paper Rex needed to win for the pattern to prove true. Their opening map started strongly, 8-4 up at half time, but Fnatic came back to edge their way into a slim lead. Eventually, though, PRX closed out at 13-11.

Next was Fnatic’s Icebox, and all appeared said and done when Fnatic had a 12-7. Somehow they let it slip. Paper Rex won five consecutive rounds to force an overtime, in which a drawn-out back and forth did see Fnatic close, eventually, at 17-15.

Next was Pearl, a map that Fnatic were notoriously weaker on, though Toronto MVP-contender Emir “Alfajer” Beder had promised a special personal performance were the map to get through the veto.

While his Neon performance was solid, earning the most kills in the game and having the highest ACS, Paper Rex kept their heads to claim a 13-10 victory and move to championship point.

Then, on Fnatic’s Lotus, Paper Rex grew in confidence and began to look like impending champions. Odd round wins for Fnatic were never allowed to turn into momentum, as PRX consistently rejected any attempts from their EMEA opponents to properly find their footing.

Eventually, though, Fnatic did come into it, winning five rounds in a row to move to map point. Then, Paper Rex forced an overtime, prolonging the drama.

Finally Paper Rex closed it out at 14-12, ending the map, winning the series, and becoming Masters Toronto champions. Finally, PRX got their long-awaited global title, paying back their legions of fans who have followed them through ten failed attempts at international competition.

And smol_em0 was right.