HEROIC have lifted their second trophy in less than three months, and this time the celebration came against a familiar kind of pressure. The team beat 100 Thieves in the grand final of Stake Pulse Beat II, adding to their earlier win at Stake Ranked Episode 3. For a roster that has struggled to close out qualifiers all season, the result matters far more than the trophy itself.
That is because HEROIC have not had it easy since forming this lineup. In fact, they missed out on several closed qualifiers for bigger events. Therefore, a win like this one carries extra weight, both for morale and for the team’s path toward the PGL Major.
Building A New Roster Under Pressure
HEROIC assembled their current lineup less than three months ago. Since then, results have been mixed. The team has entered multiple S-tier qualifiers without securing a spot, according to Antonio “MartinezSa” Martinez, who spoke to HLTV in an interview after the final.
In his words:
This tournament I think is so important for us. As you said we have been playing many tournaments, many closed qualifiers that we lost, we didn’t manage to qualify… we managed to win this tournament and it feels really good for us.
The Grand Final Battle On Ancient And Inferno
The core of the story lies in how HEROIC actually won the title. In the deciding series against 100 Thieves, HEROIC faced multiple match points on Ancient. The scoreline swung from 10-6 in HEROIC’s favor to 10-12 for 100 Thieves, putting the team firmly on the back foot.
Despite that, HEROIC forced overtime and came through it. On the same HLTV interview, MartinezSa’s take on the moment: “We showed resilience really well, it’s not the first time we showed it.”
Inferno then became the decisive map, and one player in particular stood out. According to MartinezSa, Ostojić “susp” was nearly unkillable for most of the half. In one exchange, MartinezSa recalled dying while trying to eliminate Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, only for susp to then spam through smoke and take down four opponents in a single sequence. Susp also secured an ace after pushing through a smoke grenade, a moment MartinezSa singled out as one of the highlights of the map:
He did really well in this Inferno, this map especially, but he’s doing a really good job overall in the team.
How The New-Look HEROIC Line-Up Functions
Beyond the final itself, MartinezSa gave insight into how the roster operates day to day. He pointed to Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin as a key voice on the team, noting that Brollan’s experience helps support in-game leader Christopher “Chr1zN” Nong, particularly on CT-side calls. In addition, MartinezSa noted Brollan’s contribution to team morale.
When it comes to individual space in-game, MartinezSa named himself and susp as the players who typically get the most opportunities to create plays, while Owen “nilo” Rosengren operates primarily as the team’s lurker and star fragger. Meanwhile, MartinezSa also praised new coach doto, who previously worked with HEROIC Academy. In his view, doto and the assistant coach have built strong game plans and preparation, and doto’s tactical pauses have helped the team refocus during matches.
Looking further ahead, HEROIC’s season goals remain centered on the PGL Major, though MartinezSa noted that missing qualification would not be catastrophic given another opportunity next year. The team has also already secured a closed qualifier spot for IEM Beijing.
What Comes Next For HEROIC
HEROIC now plan a short break before returning for Stake Pulse III in the coming weeks. As a result, the team will travel from Sweden for that event, though MartinezSa noted HEROIC could not commit to an additional Stake tournament due to media-day commitments tied to IEM Beijing. Those two tournaments, in his view, are likely to be HEROIC’s final events before the Major cutoff.
According to MartinezSa’s comments in his HLTV interview, the Stake Pulse Beat II title represents more than a single trophy. It reflects a roster that is still finding its footing after forming less than three months ago, yet is already showing the resilience needed to compete at a higher level. With IEM Beijing and further Major-qualifying tournaments ahead, HEROIC’s next few weeks will show whether this win marks a genuine turning point or a single bright result in an otherwise difficult qualification run. For MartinezSa personally, the achievement also carries a personal note, as he noted his adjustment to his first international team after previously competing in Spanish-speaking rosters.
