Gentle Mates AWPer Antonio “MartinezSa” Martinez has made a public apology for an offensive comment made during a match against The MongolZ, condemning racism in all its forms.

In Stage 2 of the ESL Pro League (EPL) Season 22, on LAN at the ESL Studios venue in Stockholm, Sweden, The MongolZ faced Gentle Mates in an elimination match, as both teams fought for survival – and Martinez made a comment that was immediately called out online.

MartinezSa’s Racist Remark and Public Apology

At EPL S22’s Stage 2, Gentle Mates’ underdog run came to an end against The MongolZ. While the Mongolian side easily won on Inferno (13-8), Gentle Mates didn’t go down gently.

Mirage was a heated affair, with teams too close to separate in regulation. Multiple overtimes were required to settle the eventual 22-19 score, with The MongolZ coming out on top. In the 37th round, Gentle Mates’ bomb exploded to tie the score 19-19.

MartinezSa smiled and said, “Jackie Chan,” as the camera panned directly to the player’s face in the booth. The clip has been widely circulated since the incident occurred on the late evening of October 7.

Taking to social media, MartinezSa offered a public apology, stating: “I want to sincerely apologize for the words I said during our recent match against The Mongolz. What I said was completely inappropriate, and I now understand how disrespectful and hurtful it can be.

“I want to make it very clear that I absolutely condemn any form of racism or discrimination.”

He went on to say he is “deeply sorry” to the people he may have offended, mentioning The MongolZ, his organization, and his teammates.

I want to sincerely apologize for the words I said during our recent match against The Mongolz.
What I said was completely inappropriate, and I now understand how disrespectful and hurtful it can be.
Coming from a different culture, I haven’t always had the right awareness or…

— Martinez (@MartiinezSa) October 7, 2025

Following MartinezSa’s apology, both The MongolZ and Gentle Mates have responded on social media.

Gentle Mates and The MongolZ Respond

The MongolZ responded to MartinezSa’s apology with a clean, no-nonsense line: “No offense taken.” They even created a little meme and posted it at roughly the same time as MartinezSa’s apology.

Gentle Mates also offered a public apology to The MongolZ, saying that “No circumstances justify such words.”

The organization further revealed that MartinezSa has accepted sanctions, explaining that: “This behavior doesn’t align with what Gentle Mates represents or what we want in esports. The player acknowledged the gravity, apologized, and accepts the club’s sanctions.”

Communiqué officiel https://t.co/zZivHbiTP5 pic.twitter.com/JS0JY1ILob

— Gentle Mates (@gentlemates) October 7, 2025

At the time of writing, ESL has not officially responded, and it is unclear if Gentle Mates will receive a fine for MartinezSa’s comment. The incident is in breach of the Code of Conduct straight from the ESL Pro Tour’s rulebook, where point 5.1 reads:

“Participants must not engage in harassment or hate speech in any form. This includes, but is not limited to: Hate speech, offensive behaviour, or verbal abuse related to sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, or religion.”

French organization Gentle Mates acquired the full-Spanish roster previously known as Iberian Soul on August 25, 2025, officially entering the CS2 esports scene.