PARIS, France — North American powerhouse NRG secured first-ever global VALORANT championship title after a nerve-wracking 3–2 victory over United Kingdom’s (UK) FNATIC in the Grand Final held at the Accor Arena, Sunday, October 5.

The Grand Finals that opened on Corrode, FNATIC started strong by taking the first two rounds before NRG stormed back with precision, dominating the rest of the game to secure a commanding 13–3 victory.

Moving to Lotus, FNATIC attempted to regain control, but NRG’s composure and tactical execution again shone through, resulting in another 13–6 win and a 2–0 series lead.

However, with elimination looming over Abyss, FNATIC mounted a remarkable comeback after trailing 11–1 at halftime, forcing overtime and eventually closing the map 15–13 to stay alive in the series.

Building on that momentum, FNATIC carried their resurgence into Ascent, dictating the pace from start to finish to capture a 13–8 victory and push the series into a winner-takes-all decider.

Finally on Sunset, a regrouped and refocused NRG reasserted control, overwhelming FNATIC with a 13–5 finish to seal the 3–2 series victory and lift the VALORANT Champions 2025 trophy.

The charge was led by Brock “brawk” Somerhalder, whose consistent impact across all maps defined the team’s success, while “Ethan” Arnold made history as the first player to win two VALORANT champions podium, having previously achieved the feat with Evil Geniuses.

The September 12 to October 5 tournament featured 16 of the world’s best teams competing for a total prize pool of US$2.25 million wherein NRG earned US$1,000,000, while FNATIC took home US$400,000 as the runner-up of the year’s most intense VALORANT showdown.

The triumph was hailed as a defining moment for North American VALORANT, as NRG’s victory cemented the region’s resurgence and dominance on the global stage.

Article by Mary Fiona Rubenecia