For one of these teams, this match will be the last at VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff, as the loser will be eliminated and lose any chance of qualifying for Masters Bangkok. Who will exit the tournament? We analyzed the statistics and other key aspects to provide a prediction.

Current Form of the Teams

NRG Esports

NRG Esports recently competed in SOOP VALORANT League 2024 and SEN City Classic 2024, winning both tournaments. They have won four of their last five matches, with their only loss coming in their debut match at VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff against Cloud9.

Before the season, NRG made roster changes, replacing two players—Verno and mada joined the team.

KRU Esports

KRU Esports participated only in the Tixinha Invitational, a tournament featuring South American teams, where they finished in third place. They have won three of their last five matches, including a victory over 2G Esports, one of the weaker teams in the event.

Before the season, the organization signed Mazino and new in-game leader adverso, which could significantly impact their playstyle.

Map Pool

Predicted Bans and Picks

First Ban:

• NRG Esports will likely ban Abyss, aligning with their recent trends.
• KRU Esports may ban Pearl, as they do not play this map.

Map Picks:

• NRG Esports could pick Fracture, their go-to map.
• KRU Esports may pick Split, their preferred map.

Second Ban:

• NRG Esports could ban Split to deny KRU their comfort pick.
• KRU Esports may ban Haven to remove one of NRG's strongest maps.

Decider:

• Lotus remains as the deciding map, where both teams have some experience.

Head-to-Head Record

With their new rosters, these teams have never faced each other. Historically, they have met only twice, with NRG Esports winning both encounters 2:0.

Match Prediction

NRG Esports appears to be the stronger team, boasting successful recent tournament performances and a solid map pool with consistent results on Haven and Pearl. KRU Esports has shown decent form, but they have struggled against stronger opponents, and their win against 2G Esports is not a reliable indicator of strength.

With a better map pool and more experience against top-tier teams, NRG Esports is expected to win 2:0, although KRU could cause problems on Split.