The first contender for the VALORANT Champions 2025 global title has emerged. On Friday morning, NRG secured their spot in the Grand Finals. They faced off against Fnatic in the Upper Bracket Final of the world championship event. This match saw NRG overcome their European rivals in a best-of-three series.
The match unfolded with two very different maps. The first, Ascent, was a nail-biter, stretching into overtime. NRG managed to pull ahead, closing it out with a 14-12 victory. However, the second map, Abyss, showed a completely different picture. The American team, NRG, dominated from start to finish. They easily won Abyss with a score of 13-5, securing the series with a clean 2-0 sweep.
NRG celebrated their unexpected journey on social media shortly after their win:
NOBODY THOUGHT WE WOULD MAKE IT TO CHAMPS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WE’VE DEFIED ALL EXPECTATIONS.
NRG ARE GRAND FINALS BOUND pic.twitter.com/oYVU6t5684
— NRG (@NRGgg) October 3, 2025
“Nobody imagined we would make it to Champions to begin with.
We defied all expectations.
NRG is qualified for the grand final.” – NRG
With this best-of-three win, NRG became the first team to reach the championship match. Fnatic, despite their loss, still has a shot at the title. They now drop to the lower bracket. This means Fnatic will compete again for another chance to make it to the final decision. They await the winner of the upcoming match between Paper Rex and DRX, which takes place on Friday at 11 AM.