yxngstxr and HEROIC Part Ways

HEROIC have officially announced the departure of Simon “yxngstxr” Boije, bringing an end to the Swedish player's time with the organization.

The move was confirmed on August 24, with HEROIC wishing the 21-year-old well as he begins what the organization described as a “new journey.”

For yxngstxr, however, the departure marks the conclusion of a particularly unusual year.

He started 2026 as part of HEROIC's plans, was subsequently moved to the bench, returned to the lineup because of a visa issue affecting another player, temporarily took over the AWPer role and eventually stepped away from the active roster during HEROIC's summer rebuild.

Now, after more than a year with the organization, he is officially a free agent.

From the Bench to the AWP

yxngstxr originally joined HEROIC in early 2025 as part of the organization’s move for the Sangal core.

His first season with the team was relatively successful. HEROIC won the CCT Global Finals and MESA Nomadic Masters Spring, while also reaching Stage 2 of the BLAST.tv Austin Major.

The beginning of 2026 brought a very different situation.

On January 6, HEROIC announced that yxngstxr had been moved to the bench, with the organization bringing in susp.

His time on the sidelines did not last long, though.

A visa problem involving Alkaren forced HEROIC to look for an emergency solution, and yxngstxr was brought back into the lineup.

The unusual part was his role.

Instead of returning to his previous position, the Swede was asked to operate as an AWPer.

HEROIC themselves later referred to him as their “hobby AWPer” while thanking him for stepping into the role when the team needed him.

It was an unconventional solution, but it produced some notable results.

A Temporary AWPer Who Helped HEROIC Reach the Major

During his stint as HEROIC's primary sniper, yxngstxr helped the team qualify for Stage 1 of the IEM Cologne Major.

According to available statistics, he finished the season with approximately a 1.00 rating across his time with HEROIC.

His performance was not enough to secure a permanent place in the rebuilt lineup, however.

During the summer transfer window, HEROIC decided to move in a different direction and brought in MartinezSa as their new AWPer, while also adding experienced rifler Brollan.

yxngstxr subsequently stepped down from the active roster in July.

At that point, the next stage of his career was unclear.

Raccoons Became His Latest Home

Since leaving HEROIC's active lineup, yxngstxr has continued playing competitive CS2.

He appeared as a stand-in for EYEBALLERS at BLAST Bounty Season 2 and later joined the mix team Raccoons for several online competitions.

Raccoons' recent lineup has included:

  • CYPHER

  • nexa

  • hades

  • Ex3rcice

  • yxngstxr

The mix has been active in several online tournaments throughout August.

Recent results show Raccoons beating Vexar, ROUNDS and Fire Flux in online competition before suffering a 0-2 defeat against Vexar on August 23.

The results are obviously not comparable to top-tier LAN competition, but they have given yxngstxr an opportunity to remain active while looking for his next permanent team.

What Comes Next for yxngstxr?

The biggest question now is whether yxngstxr can find a new home in the international CS2 scene.

At 21, he is still relatively young and already has experience playing at the highest level.

More importantly, his 2026 season demonstrated something unusual about his profile.

He is not simply a specialist.

HEROIC trusted him to switch roles and take responsibility for the AWP when the team suddenly needed a solution. That versatility could make him attractive to organizations searching for a flexible rifler who can also cover the sniper role when required.

At the same time, teams will likely want to see him establish a more consistent role before committing to him as a long-term signing.

The End of a Strange HEROIC Chapter

From an outside perspective, yxngstxr's HEROIC story is difficult to summarize with a simple “benched and released” headline.

He spent part of the year outside the starting lineup.

Then he returned because of circumstances outside the team's control.

He changed roles.

He played AWP.

He helped HEROIC qualify for the first stage of a Major.

And eventually, he was replaced as part of another rebuild.

Now the chapter is officially over.

For HEROIC, the organization has already moved forward with nilo, susp, Chr1zN, MartinezSa and Brollan, coached by doto.

For yxngstxr, the next move could be much more important.

The 21-year-old is now available, and the post-summer CS2 roster shuffle is only beginning.

Our Take

yxngstxr's departure feels less like the end of a career chapter and more like an opportunity for a reset.

He has already shown that he can adapt to an unfamiliar role under pressure. The next step is finding an organization willing to give him a stable position and enough time to develop in it.

The Raccoons mix may only be a temporary stop, but it could also give him the chance to rebuild his reputation and attract attention from teams looking for experienced young players.

For now, one thing is certain:

yxngstxr is no longer a HEROIC player — and the next move could define the next stage of his CS2 career.