NRG Secure Their First LAN Victory of 2025 at Fragadelphia Fragville, Climb to Fourth in Americas Valve Regional Standings

NRG Secure Their First LAN Victory of 2025 at Fragadelphia Fragville, Climb to Fourth in Americas Valve Regional Standings

Knoxville, September 8, 2025 — North American roster NRG claimed their first offline triumph of the year by winning Fragadelphia Fragville 2025, a Tier-2 LAN event held from September 5 to 7 in Knoxville, Tennessee. This victory propelled the team to fourth place in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) for the Americas, earning 121 VRS points just one month ahead of the Major invite cutoff.

The title comes shortly after a roster change: Aran “Sonic” Groesbeek joined NRG, replacing Carson “nosraC” O’Reilly. The South African veteran immediately made an impact, averaging a 1.18 rating, the second-highest on the team.

During the grand final, NRG defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) by a 3–1 margin, with standout performances across the maps. Alexander “br0” Bro delivered a 1.32 playoff rating, leading the team’s fragging efforts on two of the three winning maps. Additionally, NiP was hampered by the absence of Artem “r1nkle” Moroz, who could not attend due to visa complications; his spot was filled by Owen “smooya” Butterfield, who nonetheless averaged a solid 1.22 rating in the playoffs.

In the semifinals, NRG overcame ODDIK in a tight 2–1 series, navigating map picks and bans strategically. The final saw them convincingly shut down NiP with victories on Mirage, Train, and a dominant Dust2 closing, showcasing strong positioning and control.

Tier-2 events like Fragville have risen in prominence as part of Valve’s open-tournament format, often attracting increased sponsor interest and heightened competition, especially in the build-up to major Valve ranking cutoffs. Fragville 2025 hosted 39 teams, with a total prize pool of $10,000 and took place at KNOX Esports in Knoxville.

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