The upcoming clash between HEROIC and Gentle Mates in the first stage of ESL Pro League Season 22 promises to be intriguing. The experienced Danish roster, despite their recent struggles, enters as the favorite thanks to stability and a proven map pool, while the Spanish team will make their tier-1 debut and try to seize this chance to make a name for themselves.
How Bookmakers See It: HEROIC Are the Favorites
Bookmakers give the edge to HEROIC in their matchup against Gentle Mates in the first stage of ESL Pro League Season 22. Despite a poor run of results in recent months, the Danes have vast tier-1 experience as well as consistent performances on maps like Overpass and Nuke, where they are able to dictate the pace. Another key factor is the lack of high-level tournament experience for Gentle Mates, which could be decisive psychologically. Experience and a reliable map pool make HEROIC the more trustworthy pick in the eyes of bookmakers.
Current Form of HEROIC: What to Expect from the HEROIC
HEROIC enter the first stage of ESL Pro League Season 22 in an unstable state. Over the past three months, the team has played 39 maps but managed to win only 16 of them. The last month was especially disappointing: at FISSURE Playground 2 they finished in 15–16th place.
- HEROIC lineup: LNZ, yxngstxr, xfl0ud, nilo, Alkaren
Their last five matches highlight their struggles: only one win, against Team Spirit, while losing to Team Liquid, paiN, Legacy, and Aurora. The team looks inconsistent and needs stability to compete for higher placements.
Current Form of Gentle Mates: What to Expect from the Gentle Mates
The Spanish side Gentle Mates has been showing more promising progress than their opponents. In the last three months, they have played 28 maps with 14 wins, keeping a 50% win rate.
- Gentle Mates lineup: mopoz, dav1g, sausol, alex, Martinez
In the past month, Gentle Mates have been active across several tournaments: 5–6th place at DraculaN Season 1, 7–8th at ESL Challenger League Season 50 Europe Cup 1, 2nd at Radio Popular Roman Imperium Cup II, and 4th at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025. This shows stable progress across different competitions.
From their last five matches, they won two – against PARIVISION and 9INE – but lost to ex-Inner Circle, B8, and Passion UA. Despite these setbacks, Gentle Mates are establishing themselves as a solid second-tier European squad.
HEROIC’s Map Pool
HEROIC usually start with a ban of Inferno, which is historically their weakest map. For their pick, they often lean on Mirage or Ancient, both of which they’ve played frequently, though with mixed results (Mirage – 43%, Ancient – 38%).
As a second ban, the Danes might remove Train or Overpass to deny their opponents’ strengths. However, since Overpass is also a solid map for them (60% win rate), they may leave it in play as a potential decider.
Gentle Mates’ Map Pool
Gentle Mates almost always begin by banning Dust2, which doesn’t suit their style. For their pick, they are most likely to choose Nuke (71% win rate) or Inferno (86% win rate), two maps that highlight their strengths while targeting the weaknesses of their opponents.
As their second ban, Gentle Mates may remove Ancient, reducing HEROIC’s chances to use their experience there, even though their win rate is relatively low. The most likely decider would be Overpass, where Gentle Mates boast an impressive 100% win rate, compared to HEROIC’s solid 60%. This sets up a potentially thrilling deciding map.
Head-to-Head Record
In the past six months, HEROIC and Gentle Mates have not faced each other. For the Spanish roster, this will be their debut at a tier-1 tournament. This creates extra intrigue: HEROIC has the clear advantage in big-stage experience, while Gentle Mates could still surprise by playing without pressure.
Prediction for the First Stage Match: HEROIC vs Gentle Mates
HEROIC come into this matchup without the best form, but their edge lies in extensive tier-1 experience. The Danish team has proven strategies on Overpass and Nuke and knows how to perform under pressure, as shown in many past tournaments. For Gentle Mates, this is their first test at this level, and lack of experience could prove decisive in critical rounds.
Gentle Mates are a promising side, but their instability in key matches and a weaker map pool compared to HEROIC lower their chances of success. Experience, discipline, and cohesion make HEROIC the favorites in this clash.
Prediction: HEROIC to win 2–1
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