MIBR bid farewell to VALORANT Champions Paris after falling to DRX 2-1 today, Monday, September 29, ending a campaign that exceeded all expectations. The Brazilian squad, which entered the tournament as the fourth seed from the Americas, departs with an important achievement - a place among the top six teams in the world - and with a bright future ahead of the organization.
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A Surprising Quality That Captivated the Scene
Throughout the competition, MIBR demonstrated a level of play that few anticipated. After advancing from the group stage by eliminating giants like Bilibili Gaming and Rex Regum Qeon, the team continued their upward trajectory in the playoffs, overcoming one of the tournament favorites, Team Heretics, 2-0.
The campaign's highlight came with aspas breaking the global kill record in a best-of-three (BO3) series, reaching an impressive 80 eliminations in the loss to NRG on Sunday, September 28. Despite being sick, the Brazilian showed why he's considered one of the world's best duelists, maintaining exceptional performance that nearly carried MIBR to the upper bracket finals.
End of a Dream
MIBR's elimination story is one of two consecutive heartbreaking losses. First, they fell to NRG in a thriller that saw aspas set his record-breaking performance. Despite the individual brilliance, the team couldn't secure the victory that would have sent them to the upper bracket finals.
The loss to NRG sent MiBR to the VALORANT Champions Paris lower bracket, where they faced DRX in a must-win elimination match.
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The Decisive Clash Against DRX
Map 1: Sunset - The Brazilian Awakening
The first map was a true VALORANT spectacle. DRX started dominantly, building a considerable advantage that seemed definitive. However, MIBR staged one of the tournament's greatest comebacks, equalizing the score at 6-6 and showcasing the resilience that characterized their entire campaign. Aspas led the Brazilian response with 25 kills and an impressive 27% headshot percentage.
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Map 2: Bind - Battle of Titans
On Bind, the clash was balanced from start to finish. Even with artzin posting numbers below his usual average, MIBR managed to stay competitive thanks to performances from cortezia and xenom. The match was decided by small margins, but DRX's international experience proved crucial in the pivotal moments.
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Map 3: Ascent - The Brazilian Goodbye
The decisive map began with DRX imposing their rhythm and completely dominating the first quarter. MIBR responded accordingly, balancing the game at 6-6 and demonstrating they wouldn't give up easily. However, in the second half, the pressure of elimination weighed heavily, and the Korean team managed to impose themselves, closing out the series and eliminating the Brazilians from the tournament.
Legacy Starts in Paris
Despite the elimination, MIBR leaves Paris with the certainty of having surpassed all expectations. The top 6 finish represents an excellent financial result - with $85,000 in prize money - and a change in level for Brazilian VALORANT on the international stage after a terrible 2025 for pretty much all other orgs.
The Paris campaign was marked by moments of individual brilliance, especially from aspas, who beyond his kill record, maintained impressive consistency throughout the tournament. Verno, the young North American IGL, showed tactical maturity and boldness beyond his years, while cortezia and xenom provided the necessary support for spectacular plays.
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The Weight of Consecutive Losses
The back-to-back defeats to NRG and DRX highlighted both MIBR's potential and the cruel nature of elimination tournaments. After coming so close to the upper bracket finals with aspas's record-breaking performance against NRG, the team had to quickly regroup for another elimination match less than 24 hours later.
The emotional and physical toll of playing at such a high level while dealing with illness (aspas) and the pressure of representing Brazil on the world's biggest stage ultimately proved too much. However, the fact that both losses were competitive affairs against top-tier opponents speaks volumes about the team's growth throughout the tournament.
Promising Prospects for 2026
The result in Paris establishes MIBR as a genuine force on the international VALORANT scene. The team, which arrived at the tournament without great expectations, proved capable of competing toe-to-toe with the world's best teams.
For 2026, the prospects are extremely positive. With aspas consolidated as one of the game's biggest global stars, an experienced Brazilian core, and Verno's tactical leadership, MIBR possesses all the elements to not only seek another Champions qualification but also pursue an even deeper run.
Monday's elimination, while painful, marks the end of one of the most surprising campaigns at VALORANT Champions Paris. MIBR didn't just fulfill their objective of escaping the early stages - they redefined expectations for Brazilian VALORANT, leaving Paris not as defeated competitors, but as a team that earned worldwide respect and admiration.
The losses that ended their tournament run serve as both a learning experience and motivation for what promises to be an even stronger 2026 campaign.
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Feature image credits: Riot Games
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