HEROIC have secured a place in Stage 2 of ESL Pro League Season 23 after stunning Parivision in the fifth round of Stage 1.
The Norwegian organisation swept aside the BLAST Bounty Season 1 winners 2-0 to advance to the next phase of online matches.
HEROIC headed into the best-of-three with nothing to lose and everything to gain against the world number five, and immediately opened Inferno with a 7-5 lead at halftime.
Parivision ended the first half with four straight round wins in a bid to build some momentum into the second half. However, HEROIC put a halt to the momentum immediately, winning six rounds in a row to close out the opening map with a 13-5 scoreline.
Parivision looked to keep its Pro League dream alive on Dust II and began on the front foot with four attacking rounds. HEROIC closed the gap to end the half with a 2-round lead and a chance to score the first upset of the tournament.
Yasin ‘xfl0ud’ Koç continued an excellent opening half in the remaining rounds, with HEROIC’s offensive strength breaching any kind of Parivision defence with ease. HEROIC rounded out Dust II 13-6 to complete a surprise 2-0 sweep to advance to Stage 2.
Concern For Parivision?
After starting 2026 with its first Tier 1 tournament win, an early exit from ESL Pro League Season 23 won’t set any alarm bells ringing for Parivision. The all-Russian roster headed into Stage 1 after a lengthy PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 campaign, where it played eight matches en route to a second-place finish.
Parivision doesn’t have long to wait before it returns to action. The team heads to BLAST Open Rotterdam, taking place from March 18th to 29th, where it faces Ninjas in Pyjamas in its opening Group Stage match.
A Chance For HEROIC
HEROIC has consistently found itself among the world’s best Counter-Strike teams despite struggling to make it to the latter stages of high-profile events.
After finding success at DraculaN Season 5, the roster has an opportunity to earn valuable Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points if it can continue its Stage 1 momentum.
