In a move that surprised many, Paper Rex have parted ways with young talent Cahya “Monyet” Nugroho. The 18-year-old Indonesian prodigy has been acquired by Pacific competitor Team RRQ, where he’ll fill the void left by Saibani “fl1pzjder” Rahmad’s departure. Monyet is expected to start immediately for RRQ in Stage 2 of the VCT Pacific League.
This homecoming marks Monyet’s return to his home in Indonesia after leaving Onic Esports in October 2022. Known for his impressive flexibility in both controller and duelist roles at a young age, Monyet garnered huge interest from teams outside Indonesia. Following the expiration of his Onic contract, he made a splash by signing with Global Esports and moved to India.
While Global Esports failed to clinch any titles during Monyet’s tenure, pundits and peers alike took note of his exceptional gameplay, predicting his ascent to the forefront of the competitive scene in the ensuing season. By mid-September 2023, those predictions materialized. With the departure of ace player Wang “Jinggg” Jie due to national service commitments, PRX wasted no time in securing Monyet as their new asset.
However, as PRX navigated through the APAC Kickoff and Masters Madrid tournaments in past months, Monyet found himself grappling to keep up with his teammates, frequently singled out as the team’s weakest link. Although he showed a good improvement during the latter competition, his move to the bench became inevitable as Jinggg made a surprise comeback ahead of Pacific Stage 1.
Right now, fans are anticipating his debut with RRQ at Pacific Stage 2 in four weeks, and it will be interesting to see how well he shares strategies with RRQ’s star signing and fellow flex player, Maksim “Jemkin” Batorov.
