VCT Americas Stage 2 Playoffs: NRG upsets Sentinels to set up Grand Final against G2

Today’s VCT Americas lower final between Sentinels and NRG was a showcase of strategy, mental acuity, and star-level performances. NRG cracked the code with a strong 3-1 victory, capturing the second grand finals spot for VCT Americas Stage 2 and securing either the region’s top seed or second seed heading into the Grand Final against G2. Sentinels remain qualified but descend to the #3 seed—tonight’s clash shifts the regional hierarchy with both teams already guaranteed a global berth.

Lotus – NRG Gets Off to a Fast Start

On Lotus, NRG surged ahead early with a 6-0 start thanks to their coordinated pressure on both sites, establishing a 10-2 lead by half-time. Across the board, brawk was the standout, delivering a devastating 287 ACS, 19 kills, and a +13 K/D differential. His Vyse lurk entries and trades dismantled Sentinels’ defense, and NRG closed the map emphatically 13-4. The opening map already gave NRG a leg up in the series.

Icebox – NRG Doubles Up Before Half

NRG’s pace slowed down on Icebox, with Sentinels being the team to find a dominant start to the game. This was thanks to 8 straight rounds to bring the score to 8-4 in SEN’s favour, a reversal of the first map. After the side swap however, NRG pressed ahead on six straight round wins to retake the lead. Brawk again delivered key frags, and NRG claimed the map 13-11, riding a momentum streak to simply overwhelm Sentinels’ setups. NRG now stood with both map wins, while Sentinels needed a response. The map MVP brawk had 25 kills and a +10 kill differential, while also going 5-0 in terms of first kills and deaths.

Sunset – Sentinels Respond

Sentinels refused to fold. On Sunset, they kept the map incredibly neck-and-neck despite a slightly slower start. At the half, they trailed behind with a 7-5 scoreline. After halftime, NRG fought back and the game continued to be relentlessly close, the score progressing to 10-10, before SEN were able to close out the next three rounds with some heroics to deny NRG the clean 3-0 sweep. The map restored some hope to SEN fans, especially since RRQ had won out the Pacific lower final with a reverse sweep earlier in the day. Bang was the MVP for SEN on the map with a 226 ACS and a 87% KAST.

Corrode – NRG Closes It Out with Composure

In the final map, Corrode, both teams fought for different things: NRG to avoid completely losing the momentum of their first two map wins, while SEN needed to close it out to push it to a decider and have a chance at setting up a rematch against G2. NRG seemed like they could do no wrong on their attacking side, with their double-initiator/Waylay composition shredding through SEN’s defenses.

The half ended 11-1 in NRG’s favor, and while SEN made an attempt to come back, NRG would eventually close out the map 13-8, getting to match point off the back of Brawk’s heroics. Brawk, Skuba, and mada were all positive in terms of stats despite it being a close map, even considering NRG’s huge initial lead

MVP of the Series: brawk

While multiple NRG members impacted the maps, brawk takes the series MVP award. Across all maps, his aggressive entries and consistent winning were indispensable. He had an ACS of 283 and 82 kills across all four played maps. He also went +30 in terms of kill differential, the highest of anyone by far on the server.

Seeding Implications: NRG’s Position Depends on Tomorrow

With both teams locked in for Champions Paris, today’s result sets their regional seeding. NRG will be either the #1 or #2 seed, based on tomorrow’s Grand Final outcome —victory against G2 would lock in the top seed of the region, while a loss drops them to #2. For Sentinels, their seeding is confirmed as #3, as they hold the most Championship Points outside of the finalists, offering them a respectable yet slightly more challenging bracket path.

NRG’s win over Sentinels underscores how Valorant rewards adaptability and endurance. With momentum and better seeding now, they head into tomorrow’s Grand Final with confidence and strategic advantage. Sentinels’ comeback attempt showed grit, but it was just a little bit too late, and NRG’s early dominance and composed gameplay delivered the final blow.

The VCT Americas final will occur today between G2 and NRG, with NRG finding a lower bracket sweep to make it this far. Whether they can win their first Americas trophy this year remains to be seen, but with Americas being termed a two-team region for the whole year, it’s nice to have a new challenger appear for the top two position.