Paper Rex release captain d4v41 and star Jinggg after Champions letdown

Paper Rex has confirmed the departures of captain Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee and star Raze player Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie, according to Esports.gg News, with both exits announced through separate farewell videos from the organisation.

The moves follow a seventh-to-eighth place finish for Paper Rex at VALORANT Champions 2026, and mark the biggest roster shake-up the team has undergone since its VCT era began.

d4v41 had been with the organisation since February 2020, originally signed as part of its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster alongside Alexandre "alecks" Sallé, who later became the team's coach. Both players switched to VALORANT in 2021 and have spent their entire professional careers in the game with Paper Rex.

In his farewell message, d4v41 acknowledged the scale of the transition facing the organisation. "Now it's gonna be a new version of Paper Rex. As someone who's the longest [term member] in the team, it was fun," he said, adding, "I hope that you guys still continue to support Paper Rex even without me or [Jinggg]."

His exit leaves Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto as the only player remaining from the organisation's original 2021 VALORANT roster.

Jinggg joined Paper Rex in late 2021 after leaving Team SMG and quickly built a reputation as one of the game's most eye-catching Raze players. He was moved to a substitute role at the start of 2024 before reclaiming his starting spot a few months later.

alecks praised his teammate's ability and character in the tribute material. "He's the best Raze player in the world. Nobody will ever beat him," he said, before adding, "All the boys enjoy his company. He's been the most positive person and teammate I've ever had in my life. I have not seen him be negative or upset at his teammates, ever."

Jinggg reflected on his own growth across five years with the organisation. "Since joining Paper Rex, I've grown quite a bit," he said, recalling that he used to not speak or go out much before that began to change. "Everyone's like a family. I think that's what I'm going to miss, the day-to-day with everyone."

The departures leave Paper Rex with significant contract uncertainty heading into VCT 2027. Only Adrian Jiggs "Invy" Reyes is not entering the new season on an expiring deal, while alecks, f0rsakeN and Ilia "something" Petrov all have contracts that run out at the end of 2026.

With its longest-serving players gone and several remaining contracts unresolved, Paper Rex now faces its most significant rebuilding task since establishing itself as one of VALORANT's benchmark rosters.