NRG's promising run at FRAG University came to a crushing end as Imperial eliminated them in the lower-bracket final, severely damaging their chances of securing a spot at the PGL Singapore Major.
The North American squad had dominated the early stages of the tournament, cruising through the upper bracket before falling to Wildcard in overtime. They rebounded with a narrow 2-1 victory over SportsBetExpert, setting up a pivotal clash with Imperial for their tournament life.
According to HLTV's prediction model, the loss saw NRG's Major qualification odds plummet from approximately 65% to just 52%. They now sit outside the qualification cutoff, overtaken by DENDELE, Imperial, and Wildcard—all of whom delivered stronger performances at the event.
The series opened on Imperial's Inferno pick, where NRG exploded out of the gates with an incredible 8-0 start. Despite Imperial finally breaking through, NRG maintained control and closed out a dominant 13-4 victory. Håkon "hallzerk" Fjærli put on a masterclass, recording multikills in nine of seventeen rounds while posting a staggering 22-3 KD and 2.58 rating.
Imperial struck back on NRG's Dust2 selection. After NRG won the opening rounds, the Brazilian squad found their rhythm with an 8-1 surge. They carried an 8-4 halftime lead into a strong second half, ultimately taking the map 13-7 to force a decider.
Nuke proved to be the most competitive battleground. NRG built an 8-4 lead after the first half, but Imperial rallied after winning the second pistol round. The teams traded blows until reaching a 10-10 deadlock. Though NRG reached match point first at 12-10, Imperial forced overtime.
In the extra rounds, Imperial dominated on their CT side, winning three consecutive rounds to go up 15-12. Despite NRG's attempt at a comeback, Imperial sealed the deal 16-13, ending NRG's tournament in fourth place.
Imperial advances to face DENDELE in the consolidation final, with the winner earning a shot at Wildcard for the championship.
