NRG Eliminated by Wildcard as iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 Reaches Playoffs

Wildcard turned a group-stage rematch against NRG into redemption at iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026, defeating Nick "nitr0" Cannella's team 2-0 in the Group A decider to eliminate NRG in 5th-6th place.

The result was a sharp reversal from the teams' opening meeting one day earlier, when NRG swept Wildcard 2-0. This time, Wildcard closed Mirage 13-10 and Cache 13-9, with Jadan "HexT" Postma posting a series-leading 1.55 HLTV Rating 3.0 and Danny "Cxzi" Strzelczyk finishing at 1.30. 

For NRG, the elimination also carried implications beyond the $30,000 Las Vegas LAN. HLTV reported after the match that NRG remained eighth in the Americas VRS and could be overtaken by paiN depending on the Brazilian team's result at FERJEE In House Season 2.

Quick Summary

What Happened in NRG vs Wildcard?

NRG entered the elimination match with a recent head-to-head advantage. On September 25, the teams had met in the opening round of Group A, where NRG won 2-0 after taking Wildcard's Inferno pick 13-7 and then Cache 13-9. 

The rematch produced the opposite outcome.

Wildcard selected Mirage this time. The first half ended level at 6-6 before Wildcard took seven of the next 11 rounds to finish the map 13-10.

NRG then had an opportunity to extend the series on their own Cache pick. Again, however, the first half ended 6-6. Wildcard produced the stronger second half, winning seven rounds to NRG's three and closing the map 13-9.

That completed a 2-0 sweep and eliminated NRG before Dust2, the unused deciding map, became necessary.

HexT and Cxzi Lead Wildcard's Revenge

HexT produced the highest rating of the series at 1.55, finishing 38-22 with a 79.4 ADR and 80.0% KAST.

Cxzi actually recorded more kills, going 39-31 with 83.7 ADR and a 1.30 rating. Sebastian "fr3nd" Kuśmierz also finished comfortably above a 1.00 rating, posting 34-24 and a 1.21 rating.

For NRG, Aran "Sonic" Groesbeek was the team's highest-rated player at 1.23. Jeorge "Jeorge" Endicott and Håkon "hallzerk" Fjærli both recorded 1.03 ratings, while nitr0 finished at 0.90 and Michael "Grim" Wince at 0.62.

Series Player Statistics

 

NRG and Wildcard's Road Through Group A

The elimination is particularly notable because Wildcard had already lost to NRG at the same tournament.

NRG opened their campaign by beating Wildcard 2-0, but then fell 0-2 against Liquid in the Group A winners' match. Wildcard moved through the lower side of the GSL group and earned another opportunity against NRG in the decider. 

That made the second meeting a direct elimination match: the winner advanced and the loser finished 5th-6th.

Wildcard did not repeat the problems of the opening series. The rematch ended with almost mirrored consequences — a 2-0 Wildcard victory that erased NRG's earlier head-to-head advantage when it mattered most.

NRG vs Wildcard Timeline

Why NRG's Elimination Matters

Major qualification pressure

NRG arrived at iBUYPOWER Masters FML shortly after a significant result against MOUZ at StarLadder StarSeries Fall.

According to HLTV's report immediately following the Wildcard loss, NRG were eighth in the Americas VRS and had missed an opportunity to strengthen their position. HLTV also noted that paiN had an opportunity to move ahead depending on its FERJEE In House Season 2 grand-final result.

Because those standings are time-sensitive, the article should avoid presenting that eighth-place position as NRG's permanent or current VRS rank after September 26.

Wildcard convert the second chance

For Wildcard, the result demonstrated the value of the GSL group format.

Losing the opening match to NRG did not eliminate them. Their lower-bracket recovery generated a rematch, and they converted that opportunity into playoff qualification.

The turnaround became more significant on September 27. Wildcard subsequently defeated DENDELE 2-1 in the semifinal, recovering from an 11-13 Mirage loss with 13-10 on Nuke and 13-8 on Inferno. That result booked Wildcard a grand-final meeting with Liquid. 

Tactical and Map-Pool Impact

The two NRG-Wildcard matches offer an interesting map-pool comparison without requiring assumptions about unreported tactical calls.

In the opening series, Wildcard picked Inferno and lost it 7-13. For the elimination rematch, Wildcard instead picked Mirage and won 13-10.

Cache remained NRG's selection in both series. NRG won it 13-9 in the opener, but Wildcard reversed exactly that score in the decider, winning Cache 13-9. 

The veto also changed around the potential deciding map. Dust2 was left over in both best-of-three series, but neither matchup reached a third map.

It would require demo-level analysis to reliably attribute the reversal to particular calling, utility or positioning changes, so no such tactical claims should be presented as confirmed facts.

Updated Rosters

Wildcard

NRG

These are the lineups recorded for the September 26 series. 

Tournament Impact

iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 is an eight-team ranked LAN held in Las Vegas from September 25-27 with a $30,000 prize pool. The group stage uses GSL best-of-three groups, while the playoffs use best-of-three series. 

NRG's defeat locked them into 5th-6th place alongside Voca and a $1,250 payout. 

Wildcard moved into the playoff bracket alongside Liquid, M80 and DENDELE. Since the original NRG-Wildcard report was published, Wildcard have gone one step further by beating DENDELE 2-1 and reaching the grand final against Liquid. 

That subsequent result gives the NRG upset additional context: NRG were not merely eliminated by a team that scraped through the group; Wildcard converted the victory into a run to the tournament's title match.

VRS Impact

At the time HLTV published its report on September 26, NRG were listed eighth in the Americas VRS. The publication highlighted the possibility of paiN moving ahead depending on the FERJEE In House Season 2 final. 

The iBUYPOWER event itself is listed as a ranked tournament with a $30,000 VRS weight. 

Exact post-event NRG VRS position: TBD pending the relevant updated ranking snapshot.

That distinction matters for evergreen accuracy: the immediate post-match situation is confirmed, while a later ranking should not be inferred from the September 26 article alone.

What Changes Now?

NRG's iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 campaign is over. They leave Las Vegas in 5th-6th place after one victory and two defeats in Group A. 

Wildcard's tournament continued beyond NRG. After qualifying from the group, they defeated DENDELE 2-1 in the semifinal and advanced to face Liquid in the grand final.

From NRG's perspective, attention now shifts away from the tournament itself and toward their subsequent schedule and future VRS position.

NRG next confirmed match/event: TBD.

What to Watch Next

The immediate tournament storyline is Wildcard's grand final against Liquid. HLTV lists the best-of-three title match for September 27, with $12,500 allocated to first place and $7,000 to second.

For NRG, the more consequential longer-term storyline is their position in the Americas ranking landscape. Their victory over MOUZ shortly before this tournament had helped their standing, but the early Las Vegas exit denied them another opportunity for a deeper ranked-event run.

Future updates to this article should therefore prioritize the final iBUYPOWER Masters FML result, NRG's next confirmed event and an updated Americas VRS snapshot rather than relying indefinitely on the September 26 ranking.

Historical Comparison: Two Series, Complete Reversal

The clearest comparison from the tournament is between the two NRG-Wildcard matches themselves.

Cache provides the strongest direct comparison: it was NRG's pick in both series, and each team won it 13-9 once.

Related Teams, Players and Events

NRG: nitr0, Grim, hallzerk, Sonic and Jeorge were the five players used in the elimination series.

Wildcard: HexT, Cxzi, fr3nd, nEMANHA and reck comprised the lineup that eliminated NRG.

Key players: HexT led the series by HLTV Rating 3.0, while Cxzi recorded a series-high 39 kills. Sonic was NRG's highest-rated player. 

Related event: iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026, September 25-27, Las Vegas, United States, $30,000 prize pool.

Related playoff teams: Liquid, Wildcard, M80 and DENDELE.

Suggested CS2News internal entity links: NRG team page; Wildcard team page; nitr0 player page; HexT player page; Cxzi player page; iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 event hub; Americas VRS/rankings page; CS2 results page.

Actual CS2News URLs were not supplied, so placeholders should be mapped to the site's live internal URLs before publication.

FAQ

Who won NRG vs Wildcard at iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026?

Wildcard defeated NRG 2-0 in the Group A decider on September 26, winning Mirage 13-10 and Cache 13-9. 

Was NRG eliminated from iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026?

Yes. The defeat eliminated NRG in 5th-6th place, earning the team $1,250.

Who was the best player in Wildcard vs NRG?

HexT recorded the highest HLTV Rating 3.0 of the series at 1.55, finishing 38-22. Cxzi followed with a 1.30 rating and 39 kills. 

Had NRG already played Wildcard at the tournament?

Yes. NRG defeated Wildcard 2-0 in their opening Group A match on September 25 before Wildcard reversed the result in the elimination rematch one day later.

Who did Wildcard play after eliminating NRG?

Wildcard faced DENDELE in the semifinal and won 2-1. That victory advanced Wildcard to the grand final against Liquid.