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Wang Jing Jie aka Jinggg, one of the best players in the APAC region, is currently playing Valorant for Paper Rex, one of the top teams in Singapore. Paper Rex has represented the APAC region several times at the international level, and Jinggg has remained an integral part of the squad.
The 18-year-old youngster recently performed exceptionally well in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik last month, helping his team finish fourth in the competition.
The team has defeated some big names like North American Champion The Guard and European giant G2 Esports in the event as well. He was one of the reasons behind Paper Rex's success in the event.
However, Paper Rex is ready to carry forward the momentum in Stage 2. The team is already in the VCT Singapore and Malaysia Challengers Playoffs, winning all six games in the Group Stage.
In conversation with Sportskeeda Esports' Rishab Chakladar, Jinggg discussed about his experience of Reykjavik Masters and the team's preparations for the upcoming events.
Jinggg believes playing Valorant ranked games makes players adaptive and flexible while improving their skillset
Q. Tell our readers about your journey till now. How you started your Esports career and what inspired you the most to choose gaming as a career option?
Jinggg: I honestly didn't plan to go pro when I started playing Valorant. I was just playing VCT tournaments with my friends for fun. After winning a few games, some organizations wanted to pick me up and I joined Team SMG as I had free time back then due to the online classes.
I just kept playing tournaments and eventually, Paper Rex approached me and I finally joined them.
Q. If not Gaming, in which other field may you have tried your luck?
Jinggg: I never really thought about that, because I'm still only 18 and focusing more on school. So, I never really thought about any other career option.
Q. VCT Stage 2 Challengers is going on. You guys are still unbeaten in the competition, winning all seven games in the Group Stage. How confident are you ahead of the Playoffs?
Jinggg: Yeah, we're very confident because of the matches we have played so far, we haven't faced any hard times. So, we are pretty confident for now.
Q. Which other teams can be a tough competitor for your side in the upcoming Playoffs?
Jinggg: As per the recent performances, I think Bleed Esports is the toughest competitor for us in our scene (Malaysia and Singapore). They were the only side to take a map from us in the Group Stage and so I think they will be our main opponents in the Playoffs.
Q. You guys delivered a top-notch performance at the VCT Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik last month! It was a statement in front of everyone that shouted, 'APAC is no more minor region!’ Tell us about the experience you have gained from the event!
Jinggg: It was a great experience indeed. We've played against different teams from Korea (DRX), Japan (Zeta Division), EMEA (G2 Esports) and North America (The Guard). We've learned different playstyles and also how to counter them. So, you can say we've learnt how to be more flexible from Iceland (Reykjavik Masters).
Q. According to you, what are the areas APAC teams need to improve to be the best in the world?
Jinggg: I think teams from NA and EMEA work better than us. I heard that the teams from those regions scrim much more than us and this eventually helped them to be a better team than us. They are putting in a better effort than APAC teams in general. If we match that level, I think we can do the same as well.
Q. Recently, Paper Rex has made some strategic changes to the squad. You guys also played with a Phoenix compostion, the Agent, which had a null pick-rate in the VCT Stage 1 Masters. What were the ideas going behind these changes?
Jinggg: The Phoenix composition was just for fun. We were 6-0 in the group back then and already qualified for the Playoffs. So, we wanted to have some fun and decided to try Phoenix.
However, we wanted to be more flexible with all the possible Agent compositions in the game. Hence, we were just experimenting some new compositions.
Q. Fans can expect some other surprises as well in the upcoming matches?
Jinggg: We will see, we will see (laughs). Actually, we himself don't know what we're going to play in a game (sic). We just decide it ahead of the game. Let's see what happens.
Q. We have seen your name on the Valorant APAC Leaderboard in almost every Act recently. According to you, how much is it important for players to grind rank in the game and how does it help the player as an individual?
Jinggg: I think it's really important. Though the Ranked and Competitive scenario is a bit different, I still feel it is very important. In Ranked games, you always go against different players and different playstyles. This helps a player to be more adaptive and to improve mechanically.
Q. VCT Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen will be the first international LAN event with a live audience! How excited are you to see fans cheering for their favorite teams at the arena?
Jinggg: Of course, I am very excited for the event. If we are able to qualify for the Copenhagen Masters, this will be my first LAN event with a live audience. I've played in LAN events earlier but without fans. So, I'm very excited for the event.
