CS returns to Barcelona: Stake Ranked Episode 3 begins with the debut of MartinezSa's HEROIC
The main attraction: the new HEROIC debuts
All eyes are on the debut of HEROIC's revamped project, who play today (14:30 CEST) against 3DMAX. It's the first time we'll see the lineup rebuilt at full speed this summer in action, with Spanish AWPer Antonio "MartinezSa" Martinez and Sweden's Brollan as the marquee signings, and doto in his first tournament as head coach. For MartinezSa, the stage couldn't be more symbolic: he debuts with his new international team at home, in front of a Spanish crowd, three weeks after leaving Gentle Mates.
And speaking of Gentle Mates, their situation is the tournament's most curious subplot. The French organization plays with Dutchman CRUC1AL as a stand-in — precisely to fill the hole MartinezSa left — while negotiating the sale of its roster and its exit from Counter-Strike. A good result that improves their VRS ranking would make the package they're trying to sell more valuable: rarely does a $100,000 tournament carry this much weight for a team off the server.
NIP defend their crown while the rest lurk
Ninjas in Pyjamas arrive as reigning Episode 2 champions and start as favorites with the analysts, though with caveats: it will be only their second LAN with young academy promotee n0te, and they're coming off an early exit at the XSE Pro League in Guangzhou. Rounding out the field are paiN, Wildcard, and the qualifier graduates, K27 (playing with shalfey as a stand-in) and Phantom.
Today's opening day brings these matchups: K27-NIP (12:00), HEROIC-3DMAX (14:30), Wildcard-Gentle Mates (17:00), and paiN-Phantom (19:30 CEST).
With Cache in the pool
A competitive detail worth watching: the tournament is already being played with the new seven-map pool that includes Cache, making it another early chance to see how teams at this level handle the freshly returned map — less than a week before BLAST Bounty.
Between HEROIC's debut, Gentle Mates' slow-motion farewell, and NIP's title defense, the Barcelona event arrives with more storylines than its size suggests. And for Spanish fans, few occasions are sweeter: a LAN at home with a Spanish AWPer in the leading role.
Source: HLTV, Liquipedia.