Stake Ranked wrapped up this weekend, and we can honestly say… we didn’t see much of it.

Fortunately, thanks to HLTV’s new Round Swing illustration on match pages, we didn’t have to!

HEROIC came into the event as heavy favourites, but as they were debuting with a new roster, to us, there was still a looming risk of flopping hard. Were Brollan and Martinez going to work out well enough to make good on those expectations, and where was susp going to be after the break? We certainly had our doubts.

But deliver they did. Despite Brollan ending the event as the lowest-rated player on the team after two weak showings in the final two games, HEROIC took a flawless win in the grand final to pick up their first LAN trophy since February.

Well, a bit of a Mickey Mouse trophy. But an important one nonetheless.

You might not even have noticed, but despite just having played in the Cologne Major, HEROIC had slipped well outside the top 30 in recent months. Starting the event 37th in the world means, per VRS, they were almost as bad as FlyQuest.

This win catapults them back into the world top 30, still with a fair way to go to get back to their previous highs, but we’re seeing some very promising signs. In his best maps, Brollan had true impact on the server, susp managed to deliver strong performances under pressure, and nilo was - as always - phenomenal throughout.

Mischief hasn’t dropped his first edition of the Major qualification odds yet, but once upon a time, HEROIC missed the Major despite at one point having a 96% chance of making it. This time, we reckon they’ve got about a 96% chance of not making it to Singapore… but we think they might just do it.

Go get it.