Paper Rex has moved VALORANT player Aaron ‘Mindfreak’ Leonhart to its inactive roster ahead of VCT Pacific Stage 2.
The move follows Mindfreak’s decision to seek opportunities to continue competing in VALORANT esports as a player.
Mindfreak has featured as Paper Rex’s sixth member of the roster following the arrival of Patrick ‘PatMen’ Mendoza in March.
The Indonesian player temporarily transitioned to a coaching role where he helped guide the team to victory at VALORANT Masters Toronto, defeating Fnatic in the Grand Final.
“Aaron is a fierce competitor and an incredibly cerebral player with a wealth of experience in his roles,” said Harley ‘dsn’ Örvall, Chief Gaming Officer at Paper Rex.
“However, Aaron has expressed to us his burning desire to actively play and compete again, and Paper Rex does not want to hold talent like him back from exploring opportunities.”
Mindfreak joined Paper Rex in 2020 as a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) player before moving to VALORANT in 2021. During his five-year tenure on the starting lineup, he was part of a team that secured qualification for three VALORANT Champions events and eight VALORANT Masters tournaments.
“I’m ready to play after Stage 2,” said Mindfreak on social media. “I’m taking my time here at home to prepare mentally and physically to compete again since my state of mind was in a really bad shape earlier this year.”
What Next For Paper Rex?
For Paper Rex, attention turns to Stage 2 of VCT Pacific, beginning on July 15th, 2025. Stage 1 saw the team finish in third to secure a place at Masters Toronto, before winning the tournament.
The 12-team competition will see teams compete in round-robin and Playoff matches to determine the stage winner. The top two teams from Stage 2 will earn a place at VCT Champions, VALORANT’s season-ending event, where 16 teams compete for a share of $2.25m (~£1.6m) in prize money.
