HEROIC roster rebuild and road to next LAN

HEROIC remain one of Counter-Strike’s most consistent organisations, but the current season has tested their ability to adapt. After parting ways with longtime in-game leader cadiaN in late 2023, the Danish organisation rebuilt around a core of familiar faces and fresh imports. The team that once relied on a strict system has become more flexible, with players switching roles and sharing responsibilities in ways that previous HEROIC rosters never did.

The current squad features NertZ as the primary AWPer and kyxsan handling the IGL duties, supported by the experienced duo TeSeS and sjuush. This blend of Danish resilience and Israeli mechanical skill has produced results that hover around the top-ten threshold but rarely break through. HEROIC placed 9th-12th at the Copenhagen Major and 5th-8th at IEM Chengdu, suggesting a ceiling that needs unlocking. The organisation is betting on chemistry development and structural tweaks rather than immediate player swaps, trusting the process that worked during their 2022-2023 peak under cadiaN.

Roster overhaul and tactical identity

The post-cadiaN era forced HEROIC to rethink everything from map vetoes to mid-round calls. Kyxsan took over the captaincy after a strong stint at Apeks, bringing a more organic style that relies on reading the opponent rather than executing rigid defaults. NertZ, who joined after ENCE’s disbandment after the Major, has been given freedom to roam with the AWP while also rifling on certain maps. TeSeS and sjuush have expanded their map pools, with sjuush now playing Ancient more frequently than in previous years. The fifth slot has rotated through degster and, most recently, nicoodoz, whom the team picked up as a substitute for the BLAST Fall groups. This indicates that HEROIC is still experimenting with their final piece, especially after degster left the active lineup due to motivation issues.

Map pool strengths and weaknesses

HEROIC have traditionally dominated on Mirage and Nuke, where their executes and utility lineups are near-automatic. Their Inferno has improved with kyxsan calling boost plays on Banana, but Vertigo remains a map they often ban first. Against tier-one teams, HEROIC’s Anubis win rate sits at forty-eight percent over the last three months, just below the fifty percent mark that would make them comfortable leaving it unpicked.

• NertZ leads the team in AWP kills per round at 0.42 over the past quarter, ranking 14th among all AWPers in LAN events.
• kyxsan’s calling has improved HEROIC’s CT-side conversion rate by 4.2% since he took over, according to HLTV data.
• TeSeS holds a 1.08 rating on Mirage with a 1.19 impact rating, making him their most efficient player on that map.
• sjuush provides a trade kill percentage of 74% across all maps, the highest on the team and crucial for stabilising high-pressure rounds.

Stakes for the upcoming offline events

With the next Major cycle starting at the PGL Major in 2025, HEROIC need consistent showings at the upcoming BLAST Fall Groups and ESL Pro League to secure direct invites via the regional ranking. The team currently sits at eleventh in the Valve regional table, narrowly outside the automatic qualification zone that grants the top eight teams a spot. A deep run at one of the next two tournaments would not only boost their points but also signal that the new core can adapt to international competition. Beyond points, the psychological burden is heavy: cadiaN’s success with Astralis adds pressure on HEROIC to prove they made the right decision. The organisation has invested in a new bootcamp facility in Valby, Copenhagen, to support the players’ training regimen and team-building. The coming months will define whether this HEROIC iteration can recapture the status that once made them a consistent top-five side in the world.

HEROIC’s next tournament is the BLAST Premier Fall Groups, where they face Complexity and OG in a double-elimination bracket with a single spot available for the Fall Final.