Heroic’s CS2 Struggles and Remaining Qualifier Chances

I’ve been glued to my screen all week, tracking every twist and turn of the 2026 PGL Copenhagen Major’s European RMR open qualifiers—especially the chaotic run of Heroic, one of CS2’s most storied Danish rosters. Let me tell you, their first qualifier exit hit like a ton of bricks, and I’m still reeling from the shock of it all.

Heroic crashed out of the first open qualifier in the Round of 64, a stage most top-tier teams breeze through without breaking a sweat. Their opponent? Nemiga, a scrappy young CIS roster that no one saw coming. The match was a best-of-one, a format that’s always a coin flip—one tiny misstep, one missed shot, and it’s over. Heroic dropped the map 11-13, a razor-thin loss that sent them packing before they even got to the meat of the tournament. Heroic’s coach Eetu “sAw” Saha summed it up perfectly on the broadcast: “Best of one you can’t afford too many mistakes, it can be a bit rough.” No kidding, coach—this was rough, all right.

If you’re not familiar with Heroic’s recent history, let me catch you up. This roster is still finding its footing after a series of seismic changes. First, they lost their long-time captain cadiaN, a leader who’d been the backbone of their success for years. Then came the messy controversy surrounding Danish stars jabbi and stavn, who were ultimately sold to their biggest rivals, Astralis. Ouch—losing two fan favorites to your arch-nemesis? That’s a gut punch. Their current lineup is a mix of old and new:

• René “TeSeS” Madsen

• Rasmus “sjuush” Beck

• Guy “NertZ” Iluz

• Nico “nicoodoz” Tamjidi

• Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski

It’s a solid group, but they’re still figuring out how to click without the pieces that made Heroic a top-three team for so long. And hey, I get it—roster changes take time, but the RMR qualifiers don’t care about growing pains.

Here’s the good news, though: it’s not over for Heroic. Not by a long shot. They still have three more open qualifiers to punch their ticket to the European RMR, and from there, fight for a spot in the PGL Copenhagen Major. I’m talking about a chance to redeem themselves, to prove that this new roster has what it takes to compete with the best. And let’s be real, they’ve got history on their side—remember Astralis in 2022? The RMR favorites back then only secured their spot in the fourth open qualifier. If Astralis could pull off a late comeback, why can’t Heroic?

The next qualifiers are coming fast, too—no time to mope around and wallow in their first loss. Here’s the schedule they’re working with:

Qualifier Number	Dates
#2	January 10-11
#3	January 12-13
#4	January 14-15

That’s three chances in five days. Talk about a make-or-break stretch. I’ve already set reminders on my phone for each one—you better believe I’m tuning in to see if they can turn things around.

I’ve been a Heroic fan for years, and I’ll admit, I’m nervous. But I’m also hopeful. This team has always been scrappy, always found a way to bounce back when things go wrong. Sure, their first qualifier was a flop, but best-of-one matches are a crapshoot. The next qualifiers will have longer maps, more time to adjust, more room to show off their skill. If they can fix the small mistakes that cost them against Nemiga, they’ve got a shot.

And let’s not forget what’s at stake: the PGL Copenhagen Major is the first Major of 2026, and it’s happening in their home country. Imagine playing a Major in front of your own fans, in your own city? That’s the stuff dreams are made of. Heroic would be crazy not to fight tooth and nail for that chance.

So, what’s next for Heroic? They’ve got a day to reset, to review their mistakes, to get their heads back in the game. I’m crossing my fingers that they use that time wisely. I don’t want to see one of CS2’s most iconic teams miss out on a home Major. That would be a tragedy.

Stay tuned, folks—this story is far from over. I’ll be here, covering every match, every win, every loss, as Heroic fights for their spot in the Major. And hey, if they pull off the comeback? I’ll be the first one screaming at my screen, celebrating with them. If not? Well, at least they gave it their all. But let’s be real—Heroic doesn’t do “if not.” They do “we’ll come back stronger.”