Why Heroic Is The Next Best Team In CS:GO
Heroic, founded in 2016, has worked with some of the best CS:GO players in the world. This includes friberg, gla1ve, JUGi, and valde. After four years of looking for the best team, Heroic has finally formed their dream roster. TeSeS, stavn, b0RUP, cadiaN and niko have been competing with the top teams and showing they can become the best.
A HEROIC HISTORY
After suspending HUNDED due to a ban issue and having es3tag leave, the organisation needed help. Snappi also joined his teammates in leaving Heroic and was acquired by TIGER. A small Asian team with less than fifty grand in earnings. Back in April of this year, the team signed a deal with FunPlus Phoenix to buy-in their entire roster. This was reportedly a two million dollar deal providing Phoenix with a huge buyout. That’s a lot of money for a small Asian team that had as little as fifteen thousand in earnings.
Right after the pickup, es3tag and Snappi were benched and replaced with two currently active players. One being TeSeS from Copenhagen Flames and the other was niko who played for Optic Gaming. Heroic hit the million-dollar earning club not too long ago and has been killing it with their revamped team. Over the past six months, the young prodigies have earned around two hundred fifty thousand dollars. Their first big achievement was at HomeSweetHome when they beat out SMASH Esports. The following week they were able to place second after losing to Complexity earning them forty grand in total.
At LOOT.BET Season 6 Heroic almost doubled their earnings finishing 2-0 against Gambit Youngsters. Throughout the next two months, the team started to scramble. Struggling to find another first-place finish they placed fourth at cs_summit 6. After that, it was all top three placements. Heroic lost to BIG in the finals at the DreamHack Open Summer making it to second place. After that event, the team earned their greatest achievement this year when they placed first at ESL One: Cologne bringing in a total of one hundred fifty thousand dollars. They smacked Vitality after winning three maps in a row.
- Read More - Is NaToSaphiX A Worthy Stand In For Complexity?
HOW HEROIC BEAT ASTRALIS
Most recently Heroic earned a third spot finish at ESL Pro League: Season 12. In their first set, Heroic wiped the floor with Astralis finding themselves two maps. Winning nuke was expected but beating their opponents 16-7 on vertigo was insane. Finishing 2-0 to a team with multiple major titles is impressive. Especially including their lesser experience with CS:GO at a competitive level. Astralis was able to climb their way back after crushing it in the losers bracket, but that shouldn’t take away from Heroic’s talented crew. The Danes walked away with thirty grand, but most importantly, they became the centre of most esports articles.
Since the formation of this new roster, Heroic’s world rank went from thirty-sixth to first. They’ve proven their ability to play with the best and compete at the highest level. It’s important to look over the highlights from Heroic vs Astralis and see how they play.
On map one which was vertigo, both teams finished with a three-round difference in the first half. After that Heroic worked hard to win seven rounds while Astralis only picked up the one. Heroic's b0RUP made his way to the highlight reel after squashing four players on an anti-eco round. He really put that famas purchase to work. They simply outperformed with clean shots and big brain strats. After moving onto nuke, the Danes smacked around Astralis with multiple highlights. Including both T and CT sided plays. Heroic popped off and clutched up when needed. TeSeS was definitely a force to be reckoned with.
Highlights included a three-piece AK spray transfer on ramp and a massive 1v3 clutch. TeSeS was the only player who wasn’t a victim to magisk’s deagle that round. Not only did he take out the deadly pistol player but successfully won the round. When Heroic needs to clutch, they tend to run around the map without checking angles. Not the same as Liquid’s favourite NAF who’s known as the sloth.
This unique playstyle allows TeSeS to swiftly rotate when needed. The game-winning 1v2 from niko was unexpected. After his teammate cadiaN lost a gunfight, but niko made a quick trade on vents, forcing Astralis into a 1v1. After es3tag failed to properly bait the swinging door niko landed a handshot with only two HP. Once niko completed the game-winning shots, it felt even better when he realised it was his old teammate.
Heroic is currently competing in IEM New York. With the hope to take first place, the team will have to work extremely hard. They’ve all been practising 24/7 but might face the issue of burning out. Heroic is a young team that other organisations need to look out for.
Images via Heroic