May 8 was not close. Global Esports beat Paper Rex 2-1 in the VCT Pacific Stage 1 upper bracket semi-final. Full Sense took T1 2-0 in the other semi. Both teams are now heading to VALORANT Masters London in June. For Global Esports, this is the first Masters event in their history. They are also the first Indian esports organization to qualify for a VALORANT Masters at all. For Full Sense, this is their first international LAN since 2021.
They are the only all-Thai roster in VCT Pacific and they just eliminated the reigning Masters Bangkok champions on the way out of Stage 1.
Global Esports had lost to Paper Rex nine times in a row dating back to October 2021. It was not a streak. It was a pattern, a curse, something that defined the matchup entirely. GE had been a VCT Pacific partner since 2023 and never made the playoffs until this year. In the group stage they went 3-2 and beat Nongshim RedForce, the team that just won Masters Santiago. Their first playoff match against RRQ was straightforward: 2-0.
Paper Rex was different. GE won Breeze 13-9, which seemed like they had found something. Then PRX crushed them on Lotus 13-6. Pearl was the decider, the same map where GE had an 8-4 lead in the group stage and still lost to these exact people. At 9-3 in the first half on May 8, you could feel the weight of every one of those nine losses. GE did not blink. They closed Pearl 13-5.
Head coach Hector “FrosT” Rosario said: “We played Paper Rex four times already. That is a full season worth of games against the best team in the world. Meanwhile, other teams don’t have to go through that gauntlet, but we persevered.” FrosT gambled on this roster. He signed Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza from Paper Rex just before the season started. Mendoza beat his old team in a playoff semi-final. This is not a coincidence or a subplot. It is the match. This is what people will talk about when they talk about GE’s run.
Full Sense replaced Talon Esports, who Riot Games removed for financial mismanagement before 2026 began. Full Sense took the slot in December and finished the group stage 3-2. They beat Kiwoom DRX 2-0 in their first playoff match. T1 had beaten them in the group stage, so when they matched up again in the upper bracket semi-final, Full Sense had a chance to prove something. They did. FS won the first map 13-9.
On Lotus, T1 had not lost since the map came back into rotation. Full Sense took it 13-8 anyway. That 2-0 made them only the second Pacific team all year to beat T1, and they had done it in back-to-back weeks. The team that was supposed to flounder with a new org and new league has instead beaten some of the region’s most established names.
Papaphat “primmie” Sriprapha is the primary reason Full Sense keeps winning. He turned pro in 2024. In VCT Pacific Stage 1, he’s putting up an ACS of 272.3, ADR of 172, K/D of 1.42, and 0.95 kills per round. His last international event was VALORANT Champions 2024, where Full Sense lost in the first phase. Before that was 2021.
The trio of primmie, Crws, and JitboyS all played together under Talon in 2025 before that organization fell apart. They stuck together, got picked up by Full Sense, and now they are heading to London without having to play another match to get there. Their upper bracket wins guarantee the Masters slot.
GE and Full Sense play each other in the VCT Pacific upper bracket final on May 15 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Whoever wins gets the top Pacific seed heading into Masters London. The loser drops to the lower bracket but can still qualify for London if they win from there. Masters London starts June 6 and runs through June 21 at the Copper Box Arena. Twelve teams compete (three from each region), and $1 million is on the line. The champion takes home $350,000 and eight VCT points toward Champions Shanghai.
It’s the second major international event of 2026. The first was Masters Santiago in March. After London, teams head into their regional Stage 2 playoffs, which determine the final spots at Champions in the fall. For GE and Full Sense, both just getting there is enough for now. Both just proved they belong.
What Comes Next
The upper bracket final between Global Esports and Full Sense takes place on May 15 in Ho Chi Minh City at Thiskyhall Sala Convention Center. Both teams have already secured their Masters London spots by winning their semi-final matches, so this match determines seeding only. The winner gets a direct bye into the Masters playoffs. The loser enters the group stage but still makes the event. VALORANT Masters London begins June 6 with matches at the Copper Box Arena. The tournament concludes with the Grand Final on June 21. Matches will be broadcast on the official VCT Pacific Twitch and YouTube channels, with regional language options available.