NRG VALORANT Partners with NVIDIA, Using GeForce RTX 5080 GPUs

NRG is locking in for VALORANT Champions 2026, and NVIDIA has just revealed a partnership with the team. The lineup will reportedly be using GeForce RTX 5080 GPUs for their setups. Here’s a recap.

GeForce and NRG Partner for VALORANT Champions Shanghai

The biggest VALORANT tournament of the competitive season is here. VALORANT Champions 2026 is kicking off on September 24, and the event’s 16 teams are battling it out for a 2.25 million USD prize pool.

Americas region team NRG is among the lineup. Last year, the org secured victory after a hard-fought battle with EMEA mainstay FNATIC. Now, they have returned to defend their title. IGL Ethan will once again lead the charge, with mada, brawk, skuba, and keiko in tow.

On September 22. NVIDIA GeForce announced a partnership with NRG ahead of the competition. The players will utilize GeForce RTX 5080 GPUs for their setups, representing the brand on the digital battlefield.

NVIDIA released a video explaining the move, with commentary from Ethan. The brand states that “the RTX 5080 can reach over 1,000 FPS at 1080p max settings, while NVIDIA Reflex can keep PC latency below 3ms and reduce PC latency by up to 49% in VALORANT.” GeForce says the processor prioritizes competitive edge, targeting milliseconds that can make the difference in intense play.

Which VALORANT Pros Use NVIDIA GeForce?

Alongside NRG’s roster, players from Team Liquid, FNATIC, and NAVI are also appearing in the campaign. nAts, kaajak, Boaster, and hiro are among the ambassadors who use GeForce RTX GPUs. “The smoothness of gameplay and lower input lag thanks to NVIDIA Reflex in VALORANT is something you really feel during matches,” kaajak stated.

What’s at Stake for NRG at Champions 2026?

NRG originally caught attention for last year’s season and its Champions 2025 win. IGL Ethan previously represented Evil Geniuses’ winning 2023 roster, and three of the squad’s teammates remain from their 2025 lineup. With a stacked roster and another successful 2026 season, NRG is in solid form to defend their trophy. The team is showing up strong in VCT Americas and performing respectably at international events. They qualified to Masters London and Masters Santiago, netting a 3rd-place finish at the latter.

No team has ever won two VALORANT Champions tournaments back-to-back before. If NRG were to pull this off, it would be a historic moment. However, the competition is intense. Paper Rex has established itself for years as a fierce competitor, eager to finally win a Champions after falling just short several times. Meanwhile, Global Esports is having a rapid rise after taking big roster risks and is proving it shouldn’t be underestimated. 100 Thieves is another big name from the Americas to watch, and Nongshim RedForce is still cruising on its Masters Santiago win and 3rd-place Esports World Cup 2026 placement.

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