Paper Rex lost 1-2 to T1 in the first round of the losers' bracket at the VALORANT Champions 2026 Shanghai playoffs, becoming the first team eliminated from this year's playoffs. Both teams are from the VCT Pacific region, with Paper Rex holding a 10-3 lead on the decider map before being overturned by T1.
T1 took the first map, Lotus, with a 13-7 victory. On the second map, Ascent, Paper Rex held an 8-4 lead in the first half and ultimately won 13-6, tying the series.
On the decider map Summit, Paper Rex led 9-3 at halftime and extended their lead to 10-3. T1 then won consecutive rounds to complete an 11-13 comeback, with the match not going into overtime. The final scores and elimination confirmation for all three maps were verified by Paper Rex's post-match announcement.
Regarding the roster, the listed contract expiration years show that something, d4v41, Jinggg, and f0rsakeN's contracts expire in 2026, while invy's contract expires in 2027. The team's future renewals and roster arrangements remain undecided.