CS2HEROIC Signs Brollan and Martinez
Amidst significant roster changes, HEROIC has signed core MOUZ player Brollan and Gentle Mates AWPer Martinez.
7 Jul 20266 min
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CS2AlkarenHEROIC Cuts Alkaren Due to Visa Issues
HEROIC is allowing Alkaren to ‘explore his options’ after visa issues.
Alkaren in a HEROIC jersey. Image Credits: @heroicgg via X.com
HEROIC is making changes in an attempt to climb back to Counter-Strike glory. After visa issues earlier in the year, the team is allowing Alkaren to “explore his options.” Here’s everything we know.
Heroic is Letting Alkaren “Explore His Options”
On July 9, 2026, HEROIC announced that it has officially shifted Älımjan “Alkaren” Bıtımbai off its main Counter-Strike roster. Alkaren previously functioned as an AWPer and Rifler. After spending time on Team Spirit’s Academy roster, he joined the team in August 2025, and has now represented them for just under a year.
After finalising our roster for the upcoming season, we are allowing @alkarennn to explore his options. Visa issues saw Alkaren’s time on HEROIC cut short but we know he has a bright future ahead of him. We wish him all the best as he sets off on loan with CYBERSHOKE
— HEROIC (@heroicgg) July 9, 2026
HEROIC explained its reasoning, noting that visa issues contributed to the decision: “Visa issues saw Alkaren’s time on HEROIC cut short, but we know he has a bright future ahead of him. We wish him all the best.” Originally, these unforeseen circumstances kept Alkaren out of the BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 in January. However, they soon spiraled into a larger roadblock. The team was unable to remedy the issues, and yxngstxr began slowly integrating with the core lineup as a stand-in.
HEROIC stated it would be “allowing [Alkaren] to explore his options,” opening doors for him to move to another org. In addition, they announced that Alkaren would move to CYBERSHOKE on a loan basis.
CYBERSHOKE ESPORTS is a Serbian team. The organization typically participates in B-Tier and C-Tier tournaments. It placed 2nd at DracuLan Season 4, and won CCT Season 3 European Series #7 in 2025.
Stand-in no more—it’s official now! ✍️ @alkarennn joins the main roster on loan with an option to buy! Bringing experience from @heroicgg and @TSpirit_Academy , huge motivation, and insane mechanics. Welcome to the family, Alim! 🔴⚪️ #CS2
— CYBERSHOKE ESPORTS (@team_cybershoke) July 9, 2026
Alkaren will play on Cybershoke’s main roster. The team welcomed him in an X.com post, confirming that he is “on loan with an option to buy” and praising his “huge motivation and insane mechanics.”
What Does This Mean for HEROIC?
HEROIC has swapped around a lot in the past week. The organization benched coaches TOBIZ and Ronic and instead hired doto to lead. Just a day later, the org snatched up Brollan from German team MOUZ and grabbed a new AWPer, Martinez, who won CCT Europe 2026 and participated in PGL Astana 2026 under the Gentle Mates banner.
2026 has not been kind to HEROIC. The org made it into IEM Cologne 2026, but the results were rough: a near-bottom finish, a single match win, and an early exit before Stage 1 even wrapped up. The team is losing many regional tournaments, and its standing on the international stage has also taken a hit.
It wasn’t always this way. Back in 2023, HEROIC ranked among the best in Counter-Strike, capping the year off by dismantling a stacked Team Vitality squad to win the BLAST Premier Spring Final. That momentum didn’t last. Team Falcons pulled TeSeS, kyxsan, and degster away during the 2024-2025 season, gutting the roster’s core and leaving HEROIC to piece together a new lineup.
Though bittersweet, fans are hopeful that the new roster shake-ups could help HEROIC claw its way back to the top.
Stay tuned for more Counter-Strike esports news.
