Emperor Metals Inc. (CSE: AUOZ) (OTCQB: EMAUF) (FSE: 9NH) is pleased to report results from the latest assay release of its 2026 exploration campaign at the Duquesne West Project. The program comprised 20,479 meters of new drilling and approximately 8,000 meters of targeted historical previous unsampled core, generating more than 28,000 meters of combined drilling data to further refine and expand the resource model.

With 142,758 meters of drilling completed to date, these results represent another significant step toward Emperor Metals’ objective of advancing the project to a Preliminary Economic Assessment in the near term.

Highlights and Overview: 2025/2026 Drilling

• 20.1 meters (m) grading 5.0 g/t Au, from 436 meters (375 meters vertical depth).
• 12.4 (m) grading 1.6 g/t Au.
• 3.0 m grading 2.7 g/t Au from previously unsampled historical core, identifying previously unrecognized mineralization.
• Assay results have now been received for 38 of 66 drill holes, representing approximately 12,128 meters, or 59% of the 20,479 meters drilled during the 2026 program.

CEO, John Florek, commented: “What we are demonstrating is the substantial thickness and grade of one of several mineralized lenses that exhibit significant replacement style mineralization and continuity, highlighting the potential to add meaningful ounces both within and beyond the current resource footprint.

Increasing the thickness and grade of these existing mineralized lenses highlights a compelling opportunity to materially expand the resource by incorporating mineralization that is not currently captured within the existing resource model. As our understanding of the structural controls and replacement-style mineralization continues to advance, we are increasingly able to target these highly permeable zones with greater precision, providing a clear pathway to extending the deposit and unlocking additional high-grade ounces in a meaningful and systematic manner.”

Emperor Metals has completed its 2025-2026 exploration program on budget, finishing 66 drill holes totaling 20,479 meters. Results have been reported for approximately 12,128 meters to date, representing 38 of 66 holes and roughly 58% of the current drilling, while only approximately 43% of the total assays expected from the broader program; including 7,884 meters of historical core resampling have been received, leaving a substantial portion of the program still to be reported.

Discussion:

Systematic drilling targeting under-tested structural controls continues to grow the deposit footprint along strike and at depth (see Figure 1), while enhancing internal continuity with higher-grade, broader intercepts. The identification of free gold within the system further enhances the project’s upside potential, representing a characteristic that had not previously been recognized or systematically targeted.

DQ26-46 is part of Emperor Metals’ program targeting historically under-drilled mineralized lenses. This hole was designed to better define mineralized zones that are now interpreted to be more robust and continuous than previously recognized. Historical drilling in this area was widely spaced, with hole separations of approximately 100 to 150 meters, limiting the ability to accurately define the geometry, thickness, and grade of the mineralization.

Emperor Metals’ systematic infill drilling is significantly improving the geological model and confidence in these lenses. In addition to identifying opportunities to expand mineralization, this work is intended to support the conversion of portions of the current Inferred Mineral Resource to the Indicated category in Emperor Metals’ future NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate update.

Examples of these replacement-style mineralized lenses are presented in Image 1. The images highlight broad intervals of intense alteration and pervasive gold mineralization, demonstrating the thickness, continuity, and consistency of these mineralized zones (see Figure 2). This relatively homogeneous style of mineralization is particularly advantageous from a mining perspective, as its broad, continuous geometry has the potential to minimize dilution during extraction, enhancing mining efficiency and supporting stronger project economics compared to narrower, more discontinuous deposits.

These are the hallmarks of a robust and growing mineral system, reinforcing the significant resource expansion potential at Duquesne West. When combined with both high-grade and broad lower-grade bulk-tonnage intercepts, the results further validate the opportunity to expand the conceptual Main Pit and strengthen the project’s pathway toward establishing a multi-million-ounce gold resource.

Figure 1: Location of Drillholes Released in this Press Release.

Figure 2: Cross Section of DQ26-46 Along Section Line 640,250 mE. The section highlights a robust intercept of 20.1 meters grading 5.0 g/t Au and illustrates the increasing continuity, thickness, and scale of one of several replacement-style mineralized lenses at Duquesne West, Quebec. The results further demonstrate the potential to expand these mineralized zones both within and beyond the current resource footprint.

Image 1: DQ26-46 Intercept. The core displays an excellent example of replacement-style alteration associated with a thick, gold-bearing mineralized lens at Duquesne West, Quebec. The interval returned 20.1 meters grading 5.0 g/t Au, highlighting the robust thickness, continuity, and intensity of mineralization that characterize this expanding gold system.

Table 1: Highlights the key intercepts from each drill hole reported in this press release. The areas surrounding these intercepts remain largely underexplored and warrant substantial follow-up drilling to further evaluate their expansion potential.

¹Estimated 70-90% True Thickness

Table 2: Highlights the continuous nature of near-surface gold at DQ26-46.

¹Estimated = or > 90% True Thickness

Table 3: Table of Assays Reported for Drill Holes Included in This Release.

Table 4: Highlights of intercepts from historical core DQ06-14.

Quality Assurance and Control

The Quality Assurance and Quality Control was conducted by Technominex, a geological contractor hired by Emperor Metals, which adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines for exploration related activities conducted at its facility in Rouyn Noranda, Quebec. The QA/QC procedures are overseen by a Qualified Person on site.

Emperor Metals’ QA/QC protocols are maintained through the insertion of certified reference material (standards), blanks and lab duplicates within the sample stream totaling approximately one QA/QC sample per 7 samples. Drill core is cut in-half with a diamond saw, with one-half placed in sealed bags with appropriate tags and shipped to either the SGS Val D’Or, Quebec or MSALabs in Val D’Or, Quebec, and the other half retained on site in the original core box. For SGS labs, a dispatch list consists of 88 or 176 samples along with their corresponding QA/QC samples for a single batch. This allows complete batches (88 samples) for fire assay. A file for sample tracking records tags used and weights of sample bags shipped to the SGS Val D’Or. Shipment is done by Manitoulin Transport and coordination by Technominex staff in Rouyn-Noranda.

The third-party laboratory, SGS prep laboratory in Val D’Or Quebec, processes the shipment of samples using standard sample preparation (code PRP92) and produces pulps from the specified samples. The pulps are then sent off to SGS Burnaby for analysis. Chain of custody is maintained from the drill to the submittal into the laboratory preparation facility all the way to analysis at the SGS Burnaby B.C. laboratory.

Analytical testing is performed by SGS laboratories in Burnaby, British Columbia. The entire sample is crushed to 90% passing 2mm, with a split of 500g pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns. Samples are then analyzed using Au – ore grade 50g Fire Assay, ICP-AES with reporting limits of 0.01 -100 part per million (ppm). High grade gold analysis based on the presence of visible gold or a fire assay result exceeding 100 ppm, are analyzed by Au – metallic screening, 1kg screened to 106μm, 50g fire assay, gravimetric, AAS or ICP-AES of entire plus fraction and duplicate analysis of minus fraction. Reporting limit 0.01ppm.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control for MSALabs

Samples are submitted to MSALABS’ analytical facility in Val-d’Or, Quebec, for preparation and gold analysis. Samples are dried and crushed to 70% passing 2 mm, and an approximately 500 g aliquot is analyzed using Chrysos PhotonAssay™ technology. This method uses high-energy X-ray excitation with gamma detection to provide a rapid, non-destructive measurement of gold content on a larger, more representative sample mass.

Emperor Metals’ QA/QC protocols are maintained through the insertion of certified reference material (standards), blanks and lab duplicates within the sample stream totaling approximately one QA/QC sample per 7 samples. Drill core is cut in-half with a diamond saw, with one-half placed in sealed bags with appropriate tags and shipped to MSALabs in Val D’Or and the other half retained on site in the original core box. A file for sample tracking records tags used and weights of sample bags shipped to MSALabs in Val D’Or Quebec.

MSALabs is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory and implements rigorous internal quality control procedures. These include the systematic insertion of certified reference materials (CRMs), blanks, and duplicates at defined intervals throughout the analytical process to monitor accuracy, precision, and potential contamination.

About the Duquesne West Gold Project

The Duquesne West Gold Property is located 32 km northwest of the city of Rouyn-Noranda and 10 km east of the town of Duparquet. The property lies within the historic Duparquet gold mining camp in the southern portion of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in the Superior Province.

Emperor Metals is targeting a multi-million-ounce gold resource at Duquesne West through a combination of conceptual open-pit and underground mining scenarios. The Property currently hosts an updated inferred mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 26.9 million tonnes containing 1.46 million ounces (Moz) of gold at an average grade of 1.69 g/t Au (See press release dated July 9, 2025, available on SEDAR+). The sensitivity table in the MRE shows various grade scenarios for a higher-grade open pit for an underground mining scenario.

Under an Option Agreement, Emperor Metals agreed to acquire a one hundred percent (100%) interest in a mineral claim package comprising 38 claims covering approximately 1,389 ha, located in the Duparquet Township of Quebec (the “Duquesne West Property”) from Duparquet Assets Ltd., a 50% owned subsidiary of Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. (GMX-TSX). For further information on the Duquesne West Property and Option Agreement, see Emperor Metals’ press release dated October 12, 2022, available on SEDAR+.

A reinterpretation of the existing geological model was created using AI and Machine Learning. This model shows the opportunity for additional discovery of ounces by revealing gold trends unknown to previous workers and the potential to expand the resource along significant gold-endowed structural zones.

QP Disclosure

The technical content pertaining to the Duquesne West Project in this news release has been reviewed and approved by John Labrecque, Vice President of Emperor Metals (B.Sc., P.Geol., OQLF), who is recognized as a Qualified Person under CIM guidelines and serves as a consultant to Emperor Metals.

About Emperor Metals Inc.

Emperor Metals Inc. is a high-grade gold exploration and development junior mining company focused on Quebec’s Southern Abitibi Greenstone Belt, leveraging AI-driven exploration techniques. Emperor Metals is dedicated to unlocking the substantial resource potential of the Duquesne West Gold Project and the Lac Pelletier Project (currently awaiting liability transfer) both situated in this Tier 1 mining district.

Emperor Metals is led by a dynamic group of resource sector professionals who have a strong record of success in evaluating and advancing mining projects from exploration through to production, attracting capital and overcoming adversity to deliver shareholder value. For more information, please refer to SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), under Emperor Metals’ profile.