Heroic Defeats NAVI 2-0 to Reach IEM Rio Grand Final

Heroic has secured a spot in the grand final of IEM Rio after defeating Natus Vincere with a 2-0 victory.

They survived a triple-overtime match on Overpass (25-22) before dominating the Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev-led team on Ancient (16-9 after a 14-1 first half) to seal the series. It is Heroic’s second time in less than a year to reach the grand final in Jeunesse Arena, and they will be hoping for a better outcome this time.

The first map seemed to be going the distance as both teams put up a fantastic display with numerous highlights contributing to the action-packed affair on Overpass. NAVI was ahead 15-12 and had two chances to close out the map, but Heroic forced overtime, winning 25-22 after two more overtimes.

On the Ancient pick, Heroic took advantage of NAVI’s mentality after losing the previous map and secured a dominant 14-1 lead at halftime. Heroic eventually won 16-9, securing their spot in the grand final.

Heroic will face Vitality on Sunday in a bid to win their first trophy in 2023. Their last title victory dates back to the BLAST Premier Fall Final last year.