The upper bracket semifinals at VALORANT Champions 2025 had everything you could ask for: a last-minute stand-in, a massive comeback, record-breaking numbers, and two teams stamping their ticket to the top three. Fnatic and NRG both came out swinging in Paris, while Paper Rex and MIBR were sent tumbling into the lower bracket.

Fnatic vs Paper Rex: Stand-In Drama, Big Comeback

Fnatic were already under pressure before the game even started, due to Alfajer not being able to play (health issues), and having to slot in Doma on almost no notice. PRX smelled blood and snatched the opener on Bind 13-10, with something dropping highlight kills and their pace looking as scary as always.

But Haven was where Fnatic punched back hard, with Chronicle completely taking over the map to push a 13-4 stomp that set the series level.

On the decider, Lotus, PRX raced to a 9-3 half, and everyone thought it was over; everyone except Fnatic. They ripped off a comeback straight out of a script, winning ten of the next eleven rounds to finish it 13-9.

Chronicle was the star, kaajak played steady, and even Doma slotted in nicely for someone who had just landed in Paris.

Fnatic grab a top-three finish, PRX get knocked to the lower bracket to face Heretics.

NRG vs MIBR: Aspas Breaks Records, NRG Still Take It All

If Fnatic vs PRX was drama, NRG vs MIBR was chaos.

Abyss went to overtime, both sides clawing round after round until NRG finally found daylight at 16-14.

Haven, though, was all MIBR – aspas in particular putting up insane numbers as they battered NRG 13-4.

It all came down to Corrode, where the tension hit max again. Aspas just kept farming, ending the series with 80 kills across three maps – a new international best-of-three record – but even that wasn’t enough.

NRG held their nerve in overtime again, sealing Corrode 16-14 and booking their spot in the upper final. Aspas’ statline will be remembered for a long time, but the win was NRG’s, and now they’re staring down Fnatic in what could be the clash of the tournament.

What’s Next: Lower Bracket Gets Bloody, Upper Final Looms

The bracket splits wide open from here. Tomorrow, the lower bracket kicks off with Paper Rex vs Team Heretics in the afternoon, followed by MIBR vs DRX in the evening. Both are elimination matches, which means two teams that were hyped as title contenders will be out of Paris before the week’s even halfway done.

PRX have to shake off the Fnatic loss fast, while Heretics will be smelling upset potential after looking sharp earlier in groups. MIBR, on the other hand, have to recover from that gut-punch against NRG, and DRX finally get their shot to prove they’re more than just “almost there.”

Looking further ahead, Friday’s upper final between Fnatic and NRG is locked in – a guaranteed banger that decides the first grand finalist. Whoever wins gets breathing room, whoever loses drops into the shark tank of the lower bracket. With how Champs has been so far, don’t expect clean sweeps or safe picks.

Paris is serving chaos on repeat, and the bracket’s only getting nastier from here.