Heroic announce legal proceedings against HUNDEN following "clear breach" of contract

The organization alleges that the coach shared confidential information from the team's strategy folder with a "key individual at a major competitor" prior to IEM Cologne.

Heroic have announced that they have begun a legal process against Nicolai "⁠HUNDEN⁠" Petersen following an investigation that allegedly revealed that the 30-year-old had shared sensitive information from the team's strategy folder with a major competitor without the knowledge of the team. The former head coach's contract with the organization has been terminated.

The release comes in response to a statement HUNDEN posted on Twitter on Wednesday, in which he denied rumors that he had shared the team's strategy book and claimed that the only information he had discussed with colleagues from other teams was "anti-strat material of opponents."

According to the organization, the legal process is already ongoing in Denmark after two courts "independently found sufficient grounds for evidence collection, which has been carried out."

Heroic's statement sheds light on why HUNDEN was not part of their lineup at the latest tournament they attended, IEM Cologne, with the organization revealing that the team had unanimously decided that the coach would not participate in the event due to "severe trust issues." It also claims that HUNDEN went on to block the team's access to the strategy folder following the decision.

Heroic's mental and performance coach, Troels "⁠robl⁠" Robl, stood behind the team during IEM Cologne instead of the now former head coach, and they went on to place seventh-eighth at the event following losses to Astralis and FaZe in the group stage.

HUNDEN has been tipped as the top candidate to replace Danny "⁠zonic⁠" Sørensen as Astralis head coach at the end of the year. HUNDEN has not commented on the reports, but he revealed on Wednesday that he would not be extending his contract with Heroic as he wishes to "begin a new chapter of my career."