SunPayus close to joining FUT: the Spanish AWPer returns after three months out
The wait is nearly over. FUT Esports are on the verge of completing the signing of Álvaro "SunPayus" García, according to sources with knowledge of the situation who spoke to HLTV. The Spanish AWPer would take over primary sniping duties from Ukrainian Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov.
For SunPayus it would end three months of inactivity. He hasn't competed since G2 benched him on June 25, days after the club fell in the IEM Cologne Major quarter-finals to Spirit. The organization replaced him with Ukrainian r1nkle, signed from NIP.
Why FUT want him
The move has a logic the numbers explain fairly clearly.
cmtry has had an uneven 2026. His high point came in April, when he claimed his first MVP with a 1.24 rating as FUT lifted the PGL Bucharest trophy. But that peak was the exception: his LAN rating across 2026 sits at 1.00, and overall he's posted a 0.99 across 115 maps.
SunPayus, by contrast, averages 1.05 across 131 maps over the same period — a solid benchmark for a tier-one AWPer.
But there's an argument beyond the statistics, and it's the one that weighs most according to sources: SunPayus can act as a secondary in-game leader. For a young roster like FUT's, that tactical flexibility is worth as much as the frags.
Add to that the pedigree. His spell at G2 included top-level competition and the pressure that comes with it — something a roster still under construction needs.
He wasn't the only candidate
It's worth noting FUT weighed other options before deciding. According to sources, the club also trialed Hungary's Henrich "sl3nd" Hevesi and considered Poland's Alan "flayy" Krupa for the role.
That they ultimately settled on SunPayus says something about the profile they wanted: not just aim, but experience and the ability to call.
The FUT being built
The signing fits a clearly ambitious project. SunPayus would be FUT's second outside signing since the Turkish organization entered Counter-Strike: the first was xfl0ud, who arrived from HEROIC in July to replace lauNX, who has remained benched since.
And the team arrives off the best run in its history. FUT were runners-up at the Esports World Cup in Paris, losing 3-1 to Spirit in the Accor Arena final after eliminating MOUZ along the way. They now sit around 11th in Valve's ranking and are clearly targeting a place in the top ten.
The curious Spanish crossover
One detail rounds out the story for Spanish fans: the country's two tier-one AWPers have spent months swapping places.
SunPayus was HEROIC's AWPer before leaving for G2 in 2025. That vacancy was filled this summer by his compatriot MartinezSa, signed from Gentle Mates, who debuted by winning Stake Ranked in Barcelona. And now SunPayus lands at FUT, the team xfl0ud joined from — of all places — HEROIC.
It's also worth recalling the milestone SunPayus achieved in June: with G2, after beating NAVI at the Cologne Major, he became the first Spanish player to reach the playoffs of a Counter-Strike Major.
When we'll see him
According to reports, SunPayus's debut for FUT is expected at PGL Masters Bucharest, running October 24 to 31 with $1,250,000 on the line.
That means we won't see him in Barcelona this weekend or at the immediate events, but rather well into October, right in the decisive stretch of qualification for the Singapore Major.
A note of caution before closing: neither FUT nor SunPayus has officially confirmed anything. The information comes from sources with knowledge of the negotiations, and until the club announces it, it should be treated as what it is: a deal at an advanced stage, but not yet signed.
Source: HLTV, tips.gg, KRL.