New-look HEROIC sweep K27 to claim Stake Ranked Episode 3 in Barcelona

<p>The new-look HEROIC have claimed the Stake Ranked Episode 3 title, sweeping K27 3-0 in the Barcelona grand final on July 18. The result closes out the first competitive event for Ludvig 'Brollan' Brolin and Antonio 'MartinezSa' Martinez in Danish colors — and validates the offseason rebuild with immediate silverware.</p><h3>The tournament</h3><p>Stake Ranked Episode 3 featured a $100,000 prize pool and took place in Barcelona, Spain in a double-elimination, best-of-three bracket, with the grand final upgraded to best-of-five. Eight teams competed, including HEROIC, K27, 3DMAX, paiN, NIP, and New Phantom.</p><h3>The final</h3><p>HEROIC's first map win in the final was 13:9 on Nuke, where they capitalized on K27's individual struggles. From there the match snowballed, with HEROIC extending the sweep through all three needed maps.</p><h3>nilo the MVP</h3><p>Linus 'nilo' Bergman led the charge in Barcelona, averaging a 1.30 rating as HEROIC went undefeated through the eight-team bracket. His Nuke performances were particularly decisive, and his fragging output through the deep stretches of the double-elimination bracket set the tone for the entire run.</p><h3>Brollan's first title</h3><p>Brollan's first tournament in HEROIC colors was capped with a trophy. In his post-tournament interview, he told HLTV: 'When HEROIC came with the offer, I think it was a really good fit.' The Stake Ranked title vindicated that assessment.</p><h3>What's next</h3><p>HEROIC now turn attention to BLAST Bounty qualification pathways and their preparation for the PGL Masters Bucharest cycle. With hardware in the trophy cabinet already and a stable roster core, HEROIC's second half of 2026 could redefine the org's trajectory.</p>

Sources

• https://www.hltv.org/news/45160/new-look-heroic-sweep-k27-to-win-stake-ranked-ep...
• https://liquipedia.net/counterstrike/Stake_Ranked/Episode_3...