NRG has done nothing but defy belief in recent months, turning around what had been a dismal season to reach VALORANT Champions 2025 against all odds, and now in the final stages of a miracle run that has seen them reach the grand finals. After the team’s 2-0 victory over Fnatic which booked their finals spot, Hotspawn spoke to head coach Malkolm “bonkar” Rench for an interview.
Hotspawn: The win today means that NRG are in the VALORANT Champions grand final.
What are your immediate thoughts?
Bonkar: Feels good. Just, job’s not done. We got one more to win and we’re going for it.
Hotspawn: I wanted to start with map two, the more dominant one from today.
Why do you think it was so one-sided?
Bonkar: So it goes back to map one a little bit. We spoke after map one that we played good, we took our timings, we made big plays, but we had a lot of blunders in post plants and in advantage rounds. We should have cleaned up map one more, and after we got the feel of them on map one, everyone was just so confident coming into our map pick with the prep. We had all of these things. So, just full confidence, just flowing and having fun, honestly.
Hotspawn: Do you feel like Fnatic were maybe drained a bit after the first map?
Had their confidence dropped, do you think?
Bonkar: Yeah, maybe a little bit. It’s always rough when you lose your first map, but you know, they’re such an experienced team. They’ve been through it all before, so I don’t think it bothers them too much to be honest.
They never played us before either, so I think they got a feel from us from the first map as well.
Hotspawn: Given that many of your players are new to this sort of event, and playing on such a massive stage,
How proud are you of the way they played in this arena?
Bonkar: Yeah, I’m super proud of all of the guys, they’re doing incredible.
I was expecting us to do a deep run in Champs. I knew within the first 5 days of prac with this roster, before EWC qualifiers, how good we actually were and what kind of group of people I had. I said in an interview that I have the same feeling that I had 2018 with my NiP team and we won Champs with that roster as well. It’s just a chemistry thing, You can just feel it.
Hotspawn: You spoke to my colleague Zahk during Stage 2, saying that you love “pushing everyone to get comfortable being uncomfortable”, and it doesn’t get much more uncomfortable than a huge arena with thousands of spectators.
You must be enjoying seeing them playing on that stage.
Bonkar: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, they’re loving it as well. We’re picking Abyss, which is a map we’ve been bad [on] in this tournament. We haven’t prioritised it at all, you know, and they’re super comfortable out there just playing the game, just having fun and they know if they do what they do in practise, then we’re going to do good out there. That’s what they’re focusing on.
Hotspawn: You’re own journey this year has been turbulent, dropped ahead of Stage 1 before returning for Stage 2 and then leading NRG all the way here.
How do you reflect on having been benched a few months ago to now being in the VALORANT Champions grand final?
Bonkar: I think everything happened for a reason, you know. Whatever happened back then with that roster, I obviously didn’t want the moves to happen that were happening, and I was just waiting, to be honest. That’s it. So I saw it as a vacation, just reset a little bit, and then come in with full force.
Hotspawn: Brawk’s Odin has become infamous at this tournament.
Do you ever feel a little bit bad for the opponents having to play against it?
Bonkar: I mean, it’s definitely different. I don’t necessarily feel bad for them — everyone can use the gun, there’s other good Odin players out there. Obviously brawk is the one that’s the best in the world with a gun, but it’s like, pick it up and use it if you want to use it.
Hotspawn: Milan was asked on broadcast what his plans were against it, and his response was along the lines of, ‘Whoever figures out is going to win Champs’. Why do you think teams can’t play against it?
Bonkar: It’s just different. It’s uncomfortable for them to play against. You can’t have the same play style, you can’t do the same defaults. It just doesn’t work. You just to adapt.
We have a very good read of what to do versus the Odin, but that’s because we talk about it a lot, how to counter it ourselves. And we’ll see if someone figures out a good plan against it.
