The upper bracket semifinals at VALORANT Champions 2025 brought everything fans wanted: revenge arcs, overtime heartbreaks, and towering individual performances. In one match, Fnatic toppled PRX in a three-map thriller with a substitute, while NRG edged out MIBR in a heart-stopping overtime decider. For PRX and MIBR, the path forward now runs through the lower bracket, where elimination is just one more series loss away. Meanwhile, FNC and NRG get a bit of a break and guarantee themselves a top-three finish.
Fnatic finds revenge with super-sub Doma
Heading into the upper bracket semifinals, Fnatic had extra motivation — not just to win for their missing teammate, but to get revenge for their loss at Toronto. PRX banned Abyss, FNC banned Sunset; PRX picked Bind, FNC picked Haven; PRX banned Ascent, FNC banned Corrode, leaving Lotus as the decider.
Map 1 — Bind: PRX win 13-10
PRX, on their map, struck first with a 4-0 start. FNC got their measure soon and looked much stronger in the tail end of their attack rounds, trading back and forth. FNC gradually edged ahead, ending the half with a slight lead at 7-5. After the swap, Fnatic applied pressure, but PRX held crucial closing rounds and their double controller/double duelist comp was all they needed to make up the round deficit on defense, eventually winning 13-10. The scoreline showed how evenly matched both sides were, but PRX’s aggression and timing in late rounds gave them the edge.
Kaajak had the best stats this map, with 30 kills, paired with eight first kills and a +16 kill differential. His presence in opening duels and mid-round decision making made the map as close as it was, but the map control from d4v41 and f0rsakeN were key factors in PRX’s win.
Map 2 — Haven: Fnatic win 13-4
Fnatic’s map pick turned into their battleground. The first half saw them find an incredible lead, leveraging strong attacking plays and setups, and finding crucial opening kills after kills to end the half up 8-4. Post-swap, Fnatic clamped down on PRX’s rotations, and crashies found two nice shots to close out the pistol. PRX would not win another round as FNC’s flawless defensive side netted them the map 13-4 in the most dominant win over PRX in recent times.
Once again, kaajak was instrumental, and his and Chronicle’s raw frags and damage powered FNC through the map. Looking at the stats, three of FNC’s players went positive while none of PRX managed to do so.
Map 3 — Lotus: Fnatic win 13-10
The decider was Lotus, where PRX had beaten FNC to win Masters Toronto, and where they got off to an incredible 9-1 start on their defensive side. PRX ended the half with a 9-3 lead, after a 1v2 clutch from Doma brought them to this precipice. However, Fnatic, after the sideswap, looked way more dominant, completely shutting down PRX’s attack and exerting constant pressure with the Odin and winning out clutches. In the final stretch, Fnatic’s trades were sharper; PRX missteps in post-plants were punished. Fnatic locked the map 13-10 after winning 12 straight rounds to knock PRX down to the lower bracket.
Chronicle on Viper had an ACS of 371, 31 frags, and a +17 kill differential, the best stats on the server by far. Throughout the series however, kaajak stands as the overall MVP with 69 kills and 17 first kills. His influence across Haven and Lotus, consistent opening frags and multikills, and steadiness under pressure made the difference — especially with FNC missing one of their key pieces.
MIBR vs NRG — Overtime Thriller Sees NRG Advance
The semifinal between MIBR and NRG proved one of the tournament’s defining battles. The series went 2–1 in favor of NRG, with the decider pushing into overtime. Aspas also set the highest-ever number of kills at an international BO3, touching 80. The only record of higher kills than this was at VCT Americas, where he once dropped 82.
Map 1 — Abyss: NRG win 16-14
Opening on Abyss, both teams traded rounds tightly. MIBR looked confident, closing early defensive rounds and pushing NRG into awkward engagements. At halftime, the score line sat at 6-6. In the second half, both sides fought for mid control and post-plant leverage, and despite MIBR hitting match point, NRG pushed it to overtime. After multiple rounds of OT, with clutches from brawk and mada, NRG’s resilience in clutch spots earned them the 16-14 win, stealing their opponent’s map.
Aspas remained central and had the best stats by far. However, NRG’s individual heroics ensured they carried the map home, and overall NRG looked just mildly better as a team compared to their opponents.
Map 2 — Haven: MIBR win 13-4
MIBR stormed back in map two. From the start, they dominated on defense with a clean Viper/Omen setup that constantly punished slow rotations and overextensions by NRG. By halftime, they had built dominance and earned a 10-2 lead. In the second half they closed it out cleanly, limiting NRG’s comeback attempts 1ith a 13-4 win
Aspas again was in the spotlight. His 318 ACS on Neon combo-ed with his 6/0 First Kill record made him the player you had to keep watching out for.
Map 3 — Corrode: NRG win 16-14
This was the map that had both teams battling it out in a thrilling matchup. After a closely contested first half that ended 7-5 in favor of MIBR, NRG looked much stronger on attack, and brought the score to 12-9 in their favor, giving them three chances to win and avoid OT. But MIBR managed to tie and push it further. In OT, NRG eked out rounds through superior retakes, composure, and clutch fights, eventually winning 16-14 and catapulting NRG into the upper final.
S0m and skuba both had great rounds for NRG and were key factors in their Abyss win. However, aspas once again had the best stats, with impactful entries and de-escalation plays, especially in overtime rounds, including an ace. Aspas also clinched MVP honors for the series and has set the record for the highest frags in an international VCT BO3 with 80 kills.
VALORANT Champions Stakes & Road Ahead
With these results, Fnatic and NRG advance further in the upper bracket, while PRX and MIBR drop to the lower bracket; both teams just one loss away from elimination. The upcoming matches to watch are PRX vs Heretics and MIBR vs DRX, both do-or-die clashes that’ll determine who remains in the race.
Meanwhile, FNC and NRG guarantee a top-three podium finish after their games. The difference between victory and elimination is razor-thin. And with performances like those we saw today, the battle for the Valorant Champions 2025 crown is far from over.
