Aurora approach the Esports World Cup in Riyadh in a difficult state. The team, which at the beginning of the year consistently fought for top-four finishes at big events, has recently entered a crisis. The absence of Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş, a string of poor results, and the infamous comeback from The MongolZ have cast doubt on their ambitions. But the team’s main AWPer, Özgür “woxic” Eker, is convinced: Aurora must prove they are capable of much more than another quarter-final finish.
From the Astana Major to a decline in form
After a bronze medal run at PGL Major Astana, Aurora looked like a team firmly established among the elite. However, the following schedule turned into a trial. With XANTARES absent for nearly three weeks, preparation for key events collapsed, and the team’s play became chaotic and unstable.
We basically started from zero. When you don’t practice with the full lineup, you’re forced to reboot the process, and that always hurts the results. But there are no excuses anymore, admitted woxic.
The wound of BLAST Bounty
The culmination of Aurora’s troubles came at BLAST Bounty, where they lost to The MongolZ despite leading 11–1 on a map that seemed secured. For many fans it was a shock, and even the players themselves struggled to explain it.
I still can’t believe it happened. For me, it’s just a bad dream, otherwise I would lose my mind, said woxic.
He also pointed to the role of the new CS2 economy rules: “Now teams can afford double AWP setups and stronger defenses, which makes comebacks more common. But at the same time, it’s more entertaining for viewers.”
Aurora’s weak spot: the T side
Another clear issue for Aurora has been their T-sides on Mirage, where the team’s statistics have worsened significantly. According to woxic, the problem lies not only in tactics but also in team synergy:
We don’t always support each other properly. Something happens on one side of the map, and the other side doesn’t understand the situation. That shows a lack of responsibility. When everyone only gives 5–6%, you can’t win the T side.
At the same time, he emphasized that the team is aware of the problem and already working on fixing it.
More than just quarter-finals
For Aurora, simply being a stable top-eight team is no longer enough. What was considered an achievement a year ago now feels like stagnation.
There is no satisfaction anymore in just reaching quarter-finals. We want semi-finals and finals at every event. If this is your goal, you need to suffer. It requires sacrifices, extra work, and that’s exactly what we are doing now, stressed woxic.
He added that the team must measure themselves against the pace of their rivals’ progress:
When other teams improve by 20%, we can’t allow ourselves to grow by just seven. We need to be one unit, to improve individually and collectively.
Personal resurgence
Despite the team’s struggles, woxic himself has looked stronger at recent tournaments compared to previous months. He attributes this to changes in his preparation and mindset:
I’m working more, I changed my gear, I started playing a lot more individually again. If I’m in a good mood, you can see it on the server. But if my head is filled with problems, it immediately affects my game.
For him personally, overcoming the slump is a matter of motivation: after painful exits it’s hard to reset, but each new tournament offers a chance to start fresh.
Community reaction
woxic’s words about Aurora aiming for consistent semi-final appearances rather than just quarter-finals sparked lively debate among fans.
- Some supported the Turkish AWPer’s pragmatism. One user compared it to climbing stairs: “You can’t reach home without climbing the steps” — suggesting that setting the semi-finals as a goal is a natural step on the path to trophies.
- Others saw Aurora’s ambitions as too limited. “Aiming for semis instead of aiming to win is weird,” wrote one commenter, while another added: “If you’re already making playoffs this deep, why not aim even higher?”
- Skeptics also chimed in with humor: “That is not my goal, and I don’t want to suffer. Thanks for the suggestion, but no thanks,” one user joked, mocking woxic’s key quote.
The overall tone of discussion fluctuated between understanding that Aurora are growing step by step, and criticism that the team should show more confidence and boldness given their proven potential.
Esports World Cup — a test of ambition
The main challenge for Aurora now is the tournament in Saudi Arabia. That’s where they intend to prove that their recent failures were only a temporary stumble, and that the roster’s true potential is much higher.
We want to show the real Aurora. To prove that the loss wasn’t us. We will rise higher, concluded woxic.
Thus, Aurora head into the Esports World Cup with a clear mission: to break free from the cycle of quarter-finals and finally secure their place among the teams regularly fighting for titles.
