Saksa

Martin “Saksa” Sazdov was born on June 12, 1995, in North Macedonia. He is a professional position-four support currently playing for Team Yandex.

Saksa is one of the most experienced support players in professional Dota 2. His career includes a runner-up finish at The International 2016, victory at The International 2022, and successful periods with Digital Chaos, Ninjas in Pyjamas, OG, Tundra Esports, and Team Yandex.

Early Career

Saksa began playing DotA at approximately ten years old and entered professional competition with Global Challengers, an all-Macedonian roster.

He later represented 4 Clover & Lepricon and Mamas Boys before joining Digital Chaos in 2016.

Digital Chaos entered The International 2016 as an underdog and reached the Grand Final, where the team lost to Wings Gaming. The performance introduced Saksa as one of the leading position-four prospects in professional Dota.

Ninjas in Pyjamas and OG

After several shorter roster periods, Saksa joined Ninjas in Pyjamas in 2018. The team won two Dota Pro Circuit Minors and regularly competed in international events.

In January 2020, Saksa joined OG as the replacement for JerAx. He remained with the organization through The International 2021, where OG finished 7th–8th.

Tundra Esports

Saksa joined Tundra Esports in February 2022. The roster won ESL One Stockholm Major before producing a dominant campaign at The International 2022.

Tundra defeated Team Secret 3-0 in the Grand Final, giving Saksa his first Aegis six years after his TI 2016 runner-up finish.

After an inactive period, he returned to Tundra’s active lineup in 2024 and won BLAST Slam II and BLAST Slam III during 2025.

Team Yandex Era

Saksa initially joined Team Yandex as a stand-in in October 2025 before becoming a permanent member of the roster.

His experience complemented the younger core players and contributed to Yandex’s rapid improvement. The team won DreamLeague Season 27, PGL Wallachia Season 7, and BLAST Slam VII.

The International 2026

Team Yandex’s third-place finish at TI 2026 gave Saksa his third career TI podium result after second place in 2016 and first place in 2022.

He provided initiation, vision, and role flexibility during the run. Yandex recovered from the Elimination Round to defeat Team Liquid and Nigma Galaxy before losses to TEAM VISION and Team Spirit ended their campaign.

Playstyle and Reputation

Saksa is known for precise spell usage, strong positioning, and a broad pool of roaming and team-fight supports.

His signature heroes include Rubick, Mirana, Earth Spirit, Tusk, Nyx Assassin, Hoodwink, and Nature’s Prophet. He is comfortable creating early pressure but remains effective in long games due to his positioning and itemization.

Fun Facts

Saksa is approximately 2.03 metres tall, making him one of the tallest players in professional esports.

His nickname came from an account he received after his original Garena account was hacked.

He became the first Macedonian player to attend The International and, later, the first Macedonian player to win it.