Heroic in advanced talks to sign AWPer MartinezSa

Heroic are in advanced negotiations to sign 25-year-old Spanish AWPer Antonio “MartinezSa” Martinez from Gentle Mates, with the player expected to assume the team’s AWP role and replace makeshift AWPer Simon “yxngstxr” Boije after Alimzhan “Alkaren” Bitimbay was sidelined by visa problems.

Gentle Mates announced it will leave Counter-Strike and offered its roster to other organisations after narrowly missing an invite to the IEM Cologne Major. That decision has prompted interest in several members of the squad, including MartinezSa.

MartinezSa joined Gentle Mates in August 2025 and posted a 1.14 rating while competing at VRS LANs, online events and occasional tier-one tournaments as the team pursued Major qualification.

The 25-year-old has spent his career in Spanish-speaking lineups, including VELOX, a core connected to Movistar Riders, and a spell with Latin American side 9z in 2024–25. A contract with Heroic would be his first with an English-speaking organisation.

Heroic had been linked with MartinezSa while other teams showed interest. FaZe considered the player before signing Jason “JBOEN” Boe Nielsen on loan from BIG Academy for the rest of 2026. With Alkaren unavailable since the start of the year because of visa delays, Heroic relied on Simon “yxngstxr” Boije as a temporary AWP option.

Gentle Mates have spoken with clubs including Heretics and KOI about their roster. Negotiations over MartinezSa are described as advanced, but no contract has been signed and neither club has confirmed terms. A completed transfer would give Heroic a dedicated AWPer for the remainder of the competitive season.