NRG defeat NiP on Overpass and open Budapest Major with a win

NRG made a confident start at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, taking down NiP 13–7 on Overpass despite being forced to play with their coach replacing nitr0. The North American squad dominated the second half and moved into the 1–0 bracket, while NiP drop to 0–1.

Overpass (13:7 NRG)

NRG entered the matchup as underdogs due to their weaker recent form compared to NiP and the late substitution of nitr0 with their coach. The first half was closely contested, with NiP managing to equalize 6–6 on the CT side. Once NRG switched to defense, they completely controlled the map, giving NiP no real chances to fight back. Dropping only one round in the second half, NRG closed out Overpass 13–7.

Match MVP

Almost all NRG players finished with positive ratings, but XotiC stood out the most. Across the map, he delivered 77.8 ADR, a +7.64% swing, and a 1.7 rating.

Another minor surprise at the start of the StarLadder Budapest Major: playing with their coach, NRG managed to defeat NiP and advance to the 1–0 pool. NiP will look to recover from this disappointing loss as they continue in the 0–1 bracket. StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 1 runs from November 24 to 27, with 16 teams competing for eight spots in the second stage.