CS:GO
As teams from around the globe gear up for the second day of playoffs at the final CS:GO Major, one that resounds with confidence and fan anticipation is Heroic. With a formidable lineup of skilled players, Heroic has emerged as a leading contender, poised to finally claim a Major title, especially after their win over FaZe Clan earlier today.
In this article, we delve into the compelling reasons that fortify Heroic's claim to victory in the CS:GO Major. From their exceptional teamwork and tactical prowess, to their unrivaled consistency and adaptability, Heroic demonstrates a winning formula that sets them apart from the competition. Join us as we unravel the key factors that make Heroic a force to be reckoned with and explore why they stand as the favored contenders to seize the CS:GO Major crown over the remaining slate of contenders.
Consistency
Since the end of 2022, Heroic has consistently made playoffs in the circuit's largest events. Additionally, the Danes have been to the finals twice this year, contesting for trophies in close against G2 and Vitality in Katowice and Rio, respectively. Despite not winning trophies up to this point in the year, Heroic have climbed to number one in HLTV's World Rankings as they are the team to beat for any team looking to make a deep run in the circuit.
Lack of strong teams in the Playoffs
This major has been an odd one, to say the least. Top teams such as G2, NAVI, FURIA and ENCE have not been able to reach the Champions Stage and were knocked out early. That leaves us with Heroic, Vitality and FaZe as the top-tier teams who are left fighting for that last CS:GO Major trophy.
Heroic's win over FaZe earlier today was an amazing opener to the Champions Stage and gave us a taste of what we can expect from Heroic moving forward. Nuke was as close as it could get where Heroic had a strong lead but FaZe almost managed to come back and take it to overtime. The Danes ended up taking the map and FaZe took the second map, Overpass, with a scoreline of 16-12 in the favor of the international team. Mirage was quite a one sided affair with Heroic running over FaZe and taking the last map 16-6. With FaZe being dealt with in a confident fashion, Vitality is the only true team that could stop Heroic, and the Franco-Danish squad were far less impressive in their 2-0 win over Into The Breach.
cadiaN and co. looked far more impressive in their opening series against FaZe Clan than Vitality in their opener against Into The Breach. Credit: BLASTClean Legends Stage
Several of the top teams lost to underdogs in the Legends Stage. Heroic and Vitality were the exceptions, who managed to go undefeated and handle the pressure of being favorites and make it to the Playoffs. After a 16-7 win over FaZe and a 16-10 win against Apeks in ta derby between the two Norwegian organizations. They then faced off against Liquid in their 2-0 swiss game where they clinched a 3-0 finish with a 2-1 win over the Americans.
Major Experience
Since their Major debut at PGL Stockholm 2021, Heroic have consistently made playoffs. In their debut in Stockholm the team managed a 3rd-4th place finish against runners-up G2, in Antwerp they finished in 5th-8th place after being felled by runners-up NAVI, and in Rio they made the finals where they fell to Outsiders. They are without a doubt the team with the most experience in Major playoffs and are keen to take the trophy after being the final hurdle for many teams.
cadiaN's influence on the team
If you have not seen Casper "cadiaN" Møller’s speech at the Paris Major to his team prior to this article, it is a definite watch. cadiaN has a very strong influence on the team and often acts as the lightning rod for criticism and negativity for his teammates. His mix of experience and maturity in a very young team is an important factor that can't be overlooked as his team looks to perform in the highest-stress event in the circuit.
Solid map pool
Outside of Heroic's perma ban of Anubis, the team has a greater than 50% win rate on every single map. This has allowed the Danes to be incredibly versatile in their veto and push their opponents around the map pool.
They are a strong and difficult team to play against and they quickly adapt to their opponents, both before the game as well as during the game.
Strong team structure and foundation
stavn is a key piece of the puzzle for Heroic at the Major. Credit: BLASTHeroic isn't lacking for firepower with a strong core built around star player Martin "stavn" Lund. He is leading the team forward with a 1.13 HLTV rating. However, unlike other teams in the top-tier at the moment everyone else is performing in this squad. Casper "cadiaN" Møller and René "Teses" Madsen currently boast 1.09 ratings while René "Teses" Madsen and Jacob "jabbi" Nygaard boast 1.08 and 1.06 ratings, respectively. Along with each member of Heroic having great clutch factor, at the moment there isn't a standout weak link in the team.
Overall, things are looking absolutely great for Heroic and it would come as no surprise if they win the BLAST.tv Paris Major.