!["I want to lift the trophy," Paper Rex d4v41 lays down personal goals ahead of VCT Masters Shanghai [Exclusive]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/05/14146-17160500227773-1920.jpg)
!["I want to lift the trophy," Paper Rex d4v41 lays down personal goals ahead of VCT Masters Shanghai [Exclusive]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%205.625'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Paper Rex d4v41 recently helped his team, Paper Rex, secure a hard-fought victory against Gen.G at the VCT Pacific Playoffs. The team came close to securing the trophy earlier at Masters Madrid earlier this year. At VCT Masters Shanghai, Paper Rex's d4v41 wants to lift the trophy for good. Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee is one of the original members of the PRX roster and has been with the organization from the day of its Valorant roster's conception.
The flex player usually sports Initiators and Controllers and was a big contributing factor to Paper Rex's recent victory over Gen.G. In fact, d4v41 was the one to close out the last round on Split. He later celebrated the win with the team and since it was a Mother's Day occasion, sent out a sweet message to his family. Sportskeeda Esports had the privilege to have a conversation with d4v41 post-match.
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Paper Rex d4v41 gets candid about performance against Gen.G, having no IGL, and goals for Masters Shanghai
Q: Hello d4v41! Congratulations on the win against Gen.G. You closed out the last round taking two frags and then, you sent out a sweet mother’s day message. Will you be celebrating this win with your family anytime soon?
d4v41: Thank you. I mean, if there’s time I will have to but I don’t think we have time to do that but yeah, I mean maybe I would probably give (them) a call to do it with my parents and stuff. Yeah.
Q: Masters Shanghai is certainly a major event and it’s happening soon. Speaking of which, Lotus is one of your favorite maps to pick during your games and the team has had good success so far. This time, against Gen. G it turned out to be a close losing situation. What do you think went a little sideways for the team during that defensive half?
d4v41: I think we were hesitating a lot. And maybe trying to outsmart them rather than playing our own game So, yeah probably a lot of hesitation and I think shot-wise, like shooting-wise, it was okay. I mean not too hot but not too cold either you know. So kinda like at the right state probably just hesitation and a lot of overthinking I guess coming from us.
Q: The team has certainly changed a lot since the beginning days when Benkai was the IGL. Currently, you don’t have a specific person doing a lot of the IGLing. So going forward, do you think this setup will continue?
d4v41: Yeah of course. I think we were doing great with this system. I think, a lot of, a lot of voices to kinda like give suggestions you know and it’s kind of like working for us. But I don’t think it’s gonna work on other teams. As in other teams, if they like try to replicate our style maybe it’s gonna be a little bit difficult. And I think the reason why we are able to do this, (is) probably because we play with each other for quite a long time you know. Me, f0rsakeN, Alecks, and mindfreak, you know. So it’s gonna (be the) call of the team and also with Jinggg like (a) few years already. And probably just something I mean I think he’s kinda, like, used to us already. Yeah I mean, I think the key is to probably like trust each other I guess, and believe in the system that we’re trying to move forward, you know, with it.
Q: Gen.G really did give you a fight because all the maps ended up being close. Was there a certain strategy or certain players on Gen.G that were difficult to counter?
d4v41: I think their ‘A’. I’m talking about Split, I think on ‘A’, I think it was quite difficult for us to enter the site early. Maybe like for rushes, I think it was kind of like impossible for us to rush them in the, in the attacking side. They kind of have a Viper wall towards the A Main and they play like two (on) Ramps and stuff and one towards the site. So they kind of like want to like squish us like kind of like two ways, you know. And maybe the other one, probably, that caught us off-guard probably the Bind game where they go . . . I mean we knew the strat, the, where the Viper threw the orb towards the B long. We knew that, I mean, especially, I mean for me I think I knew that that’s gonna, they’re going to come for us because we saw the VODs and we’ve seen that they did (that) to other teams before. But I think it’s something probably they utilized too fast for us to counter, you know. So even the rotation is coming but we kind of like have no time to react to it. So, yeah, I mean, probably these two that I could recall.
Q: Speaking of Viper, we saw you play Viper on Split and now we know that the next time you play the agent, it would be after the recent nerfs. So how do you feel about that? Will you change that meta and team composition going to Masters?
d4v41: I think it’s good. Technically we are not—I think it doesn’t really affect us probably. It just affects us on defensive side because we don’t really play post-plant you know. Like, it’s either we finish the round instantly or we don’t even play the post-plant with the Viper lineup or whatsoever you know. So, I think on attack, doesn’t really matter for us. But towards the CT, towards the defensive side probably kind of like affects me. In terms of when they trying to fit rushes and stuff you know when you throw the mollies and you only have one right. So yeah, for me I have to be more careful with the timing of the Molly. And I think yeah that’s what, that’s what makes (it) kind of like difficult but overall I think it’s still going to be, I think she’s still gonna be OP in my opinion. I don’t think it affects much in, especially Split, I think in Split, still doable, like, usable you know.
d4v41: I’m wondering how other teams going to run on Lotus, I guess. Because every other team pretty much runs Viper on that map right? But I am quite excited to see, like are they going to still run it? Because we don’t run Viper in Lotus and a lot of people were kind of like bashing us like ‘Why you guys don’t use Viper like. Viper is very OP,’ but I guess we kind of like one step ahead, you know.
Q: So, going to Masters Shanghai must be exciting. Paper Rex has come close to winning at a Masters event before. What are your expectations going into Masters this time around?
d4v41: I think, probably, my personal goal will be. Obviously, I want to lift the trophy but, but I think now my main goal probably, (is to) get to top four, I think. I will have to play at the second arena. Which is the, if I’m not mistaken, it was like Mercedes-Benz arena in Shanghai and I heard that it’s going to be big. I mean I’ve seen (it) before in other games, for example, The International right? They hosted like (Dota2) tournament before in that arena and I will have to compete there you know. So maybe in my personal goal being, (to) get to top four and be able to play in front of the Chinese audience you know in the arena. And (the) last goal would be obviously the trophy, you know?
Q: Are there any teams in specific that would you like to play against at Masters Shanghai?
d4v41: I think if I had to choose one from (the) EU, probably FNATIC, I guess. We lost to them before and getting revenge would be a nice feeling, you know. And from NA, it could be any team because it doesn’t really matter, because we lost to, pretty much all NA teams before. So it’s kind of like, probably like six streaks if I’m not mistaken or something. So any NA team would be good so that we can break the curse, you know?
I think playing against Chinese teams will be hard. Because it’s their home ground, home country, you know. So, I think it’s going to be tough. I think the crowd’s going to be cheering for them and you know, it’s going to be hard but I would love to also.
Q: What do you think is the biggest strength of Paper Rex going into Masters Shanghai?
d4v41: I think we are not, we are not (as) aggressive as we used to (be). Probably, I think now I will say we are slightly smarter I guess. Probably we’ve grown up to (be) maybe a smarter team I guess, rather than just like pressing ‘W’. So, probably I will say, kind of like, probably not like a one-trick team I guess. Before, people used to know us as the ‘W’ team right? But I think now we’re not just that, probably we’re slightly smarter you know. So, it’s kind of like an on and off button, whether we want to rush them or not, you know. So, saying to kind of like, two, two variety of like playstyle.
Q: As we close this interview, what are your final few words for the fans rooting for Paper Rex across the world?
d4v41: I mean, thank you so much for supporting us. Doesn’t matter (whether) offline or online, I would love to see you guys support us as much as you guys are doing for us. Now, I mean it’s nice to see people are coming across of the countries you know, like to fly here to watch us and I heard that, I’ve seen that some from my DMs that they’re going to fly to Shanghai to watch our game. So it’s something that I (was) not expecting, I mean before, you know, I mean before we started from zero and now we have like a lot of fans. So I would like to thank them and hopefully, we’re going to do even better in Shanghai and hopefully, you guys keep supporting us as usual you know. So yeah, thank you.
