HEROIC are the Stake Pulse Beat II champions. The international squad beat 100 Thieves 2-1 in Saturday's grand final in Stockholm, completing a comeback that required surviving two championship points on Ancient before dismantling their opponents on the decider.
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How Ancient nearly ended it
100 Thieves had every reason to think the trophy was theirs. After taking Dust2 13-8 in the opening map, Jack "Gizmy" von Spreckelsen's side recovered from a 5-7 deficit on Ancient and went on a 6-0 T-side run to reach championship point. Then another. HEROIC refused to fold, equalised the score, and eventually closed it out 19-17 in double overtime.
The key here is that Håvard "rain" Nygaard was carrying 100 Thieves through that stretch, finishing the first half of Ancient with a 2.24 rating and a +14.23% round swing. That kind of individual output kept them alive, but it also masked how badly things were going to fall apart on Inferno.
Inferno was over before it started
HEROIC grabbed Inferno by the neck and never let go. Tim "susp" Ångström was nearly deathless in the first half, finishing the CT side with a 2.47 rating and 15 kills to just 1 death. Ludvig "Brollan" Brolin added a 1.70 rating across the map as HEROIC built an 11-0 lead before 100 Thieves picked up a consolation round.
100 Thieves managed just 4 rounds total. Gizmy went 17-34 across the full series, a brutal stat line for the player tasked with leading the side. Nicolai "device" Reedtz finished with a 0.84 rating across all three maps, well below the level you need from a player of his calibre in a grand final.
The match ended with a 2v3 clutch by Linus "nilo" Bergman and Antonio "MartinezSa" Martinez to put the series to rest.
Brollan leads the stat sheet
Brollan was HEROIC's best player across the three maps, finishing with a 1.34 rating, 51 kills to 43 deaths, and a +4.07% swing. MartinezSa was right behind him at 1.14 with 53 kills. The two summer arrivals, both joining since July, have now won back-to-back LAN trophies with the team.
For 100 Thieves, rain was the standout performer with a 1.12 series rating, but the team's inability to convert championship points on Ancient and then the complete collapse on Inferno will sting. Gizmy's 0.89 series rating as the IGL is a number the team will need to address.
What this means for both teams
HEROIC jump 10 places in the global VRS to 17th (13th in Europe). That kind of ranking movement matters with Major invite cut-offs on the horizon.
100 Thieves picked up 127 Valve points and moved up 14 places to 27th globally despite the loss. Their Major qualification push isn't dead. Three LAN events remain before the invite cut-off: ROG Journey Autumn, Stake Pulse Beat III, and FiRe Last Chance. The roster has the firepower, as this Stockholm run proved, but converting in grand finals is a different problem entirely.
For more CS2 esports coverage and gaming guides across competitive titles, check back on GAMES.GG as the Major qualification race heats up over the next few weeks. If you want something to read while you wait for the next event, the Grime II trophy guide covers all 40 PS5 trophies if you need a break from watching VODs. The Deadlock hero tier list is also worth bookmarking if you've been spending time in Valve's other competitive release.
