Paper Rex let Valorant player explore his options for 2024 VCT season
Colin Young-Wolff/Riot GamesValorant Champions runners-up Paper Rex have announced they are open to offers for Benedict ‘Benkai’ Tan ahead of the 2024 VCT season.
The Singaporean player has been on Paper Rex’s books since June 2020, playing a key role as the organization’s CS:GO squad transitioned to Valorant and became one of the game’s best teams.
Paper Rex enjoyed a year of considerable success in 2022, when they finished in fourth place at Masters Reykjavík and reached the final at Masters Copenhagen. The team ended the year with a top-12 finish at Valorant Champions.
The 2023 season began with a disappointing Round-of-32 exit at VCT LOCK//IN. Shortly afterward, Paper Rex signed rising star Ilya ‘something’ Petrov from Japanese Challengers side Sengoku Gaming, with Benkai being moved to the bench four weeks into the VCT Pacific League.
“He has worked with the team throughout the 2023 VCT Pacific season and set the foundations for the team’s current competitive success,” Paper Rex wrote on X/Twitter.
“As a fierce veteran in First-Person Shooter (FPS) esports, Benedict has expressed his desire to continue competing. Benedict is currently under contract with Paper Rex and is not a free agent. However, he and Paper Rex are open to receiving offers.”
In a post on X/Twitter, Benkai stated that he is “committed to continue fiercely competing” and is ready to relocate. He also left the door open to a move to the recently created VCT China League by indicating that he speaks Chinese.
Benkai is expected to command strong interest in the market. He is an experienced in-game leader with a strong following, in part because of his hilarious antics during international tournaments, which include wearing a green dinosaur costume on stage and making sandwiches for fellow pros at a press conference.
Paper Rex are currently in the market for a new player as Wang ‘Jinggg’ Jing Jie will miss the entire 2024 VCT season to complete his military service. The 20-year-old played his final tournament with the team in Los Angeles as Paper Rex finished runners-up to Evil Geniuses at Valorant Champions 2023.