cadiaN on stavn and jabbi's transfers: "I'm very surprised at the way they handled it"

The Danish IGL talked about his final months in HEROIC and gave his thoughts on the roster's unceremonious end.

In the final chapter of Casper "⁠cadiaN⁠" Møller's trilogy of interviews with HEROIC, the focus shifted to the last phase of the Dane's tenure with the team that culminated in his eventual departure. Despite HEROIC's strong start to the year and their persistent presence in playoffs throughout 2023, cadiaN expressed disappointment over the team's failure to secure titles during their time together.

"The last stages of my time in Heroic were filled with consistency, but we couldn't overcome our inner demons and smaller teams. Losing to MOUZ at IEM Dallas, GamerLegion in the Paris Major semi-final, and Astralis in Cologne, those are three teams we shouldn't be losing to. That sparked my interest in shaking things up and doing things differently, just like we've done plenty of times with a good outcome.

"We beat Vitality in Washington, and we were number one in the world. But for me, it didn't feel like we were number one because we weren't winning the big tournaments. I don't want to say we were number one in the rankings, I want to say we won Cologne, Katowice, or the Major, these kinds of things."

In a transfer-filled summer, HEROIC stuck to their guns and kept their roster intact for the second part of the season. The organization went through some organizational changes, though, as the team needed more support. "In autumn, there was a lot of figuring out the missing pieces, namely a team manager and head of performance. We needed someone to have a bigger picture in mind," cadiaN said about the decision to sign Kasper Straube Hansen.

"We got him as a team manager and physiotherapist to make sure they could pay him the amount he needed, and he could travel with us. He quickly created a good bond with the players and the organization and became the connection between tournament organizers, the organization, and the team."

His stint in his new role didn't last long, however, as he departed for Astralis to take over as their Sports Director. "When he [Kasper Straube Hansen] left for Astralis, it was a hit on our team. But if we just found a replacement quicker, the gap wouldn't have been as big. I think we could find other people that could do a lot of the same things that he did."

"It was an interesting switch in dynamic. At this point, no one in our team has been interested in joining Astralis. They tried multiple times to sign players from us, but people said no every time because our team and chemistry were better. And that's when they couldn't any longer take players from the second-best team because we were now the best team. So when he left, it was a weird feeling."

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The news also came as a hit for HEROIC's in-game performances, said the Dane. "It was a rough period. I felt like the intensity dropped a bit in training, people were not showing up as prepared as they usually do. All of us had a hard time getting the best out of each other at this point, so some changes were necessary both in the staff and the player department for us to reach what I was dreaming about."

While cadiaN said he expected changes to happen, he admits stavn's call about the future caught him off guard. "I was very surprised when I talked with stavn. He wanted to move things in a different direction, and he didn't know if he should be benched. He said he didn't feel the same joy playing the game or playing with me that he used to, and he thought I was being very harsh when correcting mistakes.

"I could see some of the parts he was saying, but with the relationship and open communication that we had, I was surprised things weren't brought to my attention earlier. He had a serious tone when he called me, and I felt that this was something he was sad about."

The call eventually led to the roster falling apart, and stavn and Jakob "⁠jabbi⁠" Nygaard were announced as Astralis players less than a month after their benching. "If they want to go to Astralis it's their choice, but considering how they talked about the way Straube made the move, I'm very surprised at the way they handled it.

"It's normal in sports that people want to try new adventures and teams, but you decide how you want to handle things. It's a shame it's gonna influence the way we look back at our time together," cadiaN said about the duo's move.

All of this left HEROIC without a full roster and cadiaN without a team, and the Dane says he was offered a chance to return to the organization. "After I was trying to initiate processes with new organizations, Heroic came back to me and offered me a chance to rebuild around sjuush and TeSeS. I didn't have too much interest in that, even though the economical side of Heroic meant we could get good players that I could play with, but I just didn't have the energy to build everything from scratch again.

"But I don't think it's impossible for me to come back. I share so many good memories with the players and staff, and I'm sad that things are ending and the way they are ending. A lot of it is not the fault of the organization or me. I still have a lot of respect for everyone, and you never know, esports is wild," he said about a potential return to HEROIC in the future.

The interview finished with cadiaN passing on some advice to the incoming HEROIC captain. "I think the most important thing is to make sure to lead in your own way, as a lot of people are going to be thinking of Heroic and cadiaN as one thing. If you don't want to stand up and scream, then don't. If you don't want to be crazy motivational or you don't have it in you, don't try to force it. Be the leader that you are and make sure you are the best version of yourself, and your teammates will follow you all the way."