Özgür “woxic” Eker spoke to HLTV after Aurora defeated Spirit in the third-place match at ESL Pro League Season 24, discussing the importance of the result, the confidence inside the new lineup and progress ahead of the Major.
Aurora recovered from a 1:2 semifinal loss to Vitality by beating Spirit to secure third place in Katowice.
Third place still mattered for Aurora
woxic admitted that returning to the server one day after semifinal elimination was mentally difficult.
The AWPer said he dislikes third-place matches because teams have already lost the chance to compete for the title but still have to remain at the event for another day. Aurora nevertheless approached the series seriously because of the medal and the VRS implications.
It’s always good to have at least something from the event. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose.
According to woxic, Aurora treated the match seriously rather than approaching it as a formality after missing the Grand Final.
The victory also provided important VRS points. After beating Spirit, Aurora moved to ninth place in the live VRS, with HLTV giving the team a 98.8% projected chance of receiving a Stage 3 invitation to PGL Singapore Major 2026.
Wins against top teams build confidence
woxic said Aurora have recently become more confident when facing leading opponents.
Even when the team lose, he believes many of the recent matches have remained close and often come down to small mistakes.
Every game when you win, you’re just gaining some confidence.
The current international lineup is still relatively new compared to many of its opponents, and woxic believes regular playoff appearances and matches against top teams can help the roster build experience before the Major.
Aurora will next travel to Malta, where the team will look to continue its recent run of results.
woxic believes international lineup can surpass previous roster
woxic was also asked whether the current international lineup could eventually reach a higher level than the previous Turkish roster.
He said playing in English does not necessarily limit the ceiling of the team and pointed to the performance in Katowice as an example of what Aurora can achieve.
If we play all the events like we did here, we can pass it.
At the same time, woxic acknowledged that there are no guarantees and said continued improvement from tournament to tournament will determine how far the lineup can go.
The third-place finish at ESL Pro League Season 24 gives Aurora another positive result as the team continues building momentum before PGL Singapore Major 2026.
