After two heartbreaking second-place finishes earlier this year, the Turkish giants have finally broken their title curse in spectacular fashion.
Six-Hour Marathon Ends in Glory
Aurora conquered PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 after an exhausting six-hour best-of-five series against Legacy, winning 3-2 to secure their long-awaited LAN title. It’s a massive breakthrough for the Turkish roster, coming just weeks before the Budapest Major.
“I’m happy,” said an emotional Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli. “The goal was to win here. That’s all I can say. Today, my focus was to motivate my teammates — and it worked.”
Masters Bucharest 2025Romania, Bucharest, PGL Studio
Aurora Gaming
Legacy
SAWThe Road to the Final
After a shaky start in groups, Aurora’s run was anything but smooth. Losses to HEROIC and SAW had them on the brink of elimination. Yet the team flipped the switch in the playoffs — sweeping B8, dismantling GamerLegion, and finally conquering Legacy in a five-map thriller.
Map-by-Map: The Battle Unfolds
Dust2 kicked off with Aurora in control before Legacy clawed back with a miraculous force-buy. What followed was a tug-of-war filled with force-buys and clutches. Aurora eventually sealed the opener with a flawless late run.
On Mirage, XANTARES stole the spotlight. His +13.78% round swing anchored Aurora’s 7–5 half, before Wicadia and jottAAA combined for 20 frags on the T side to push the team to match point.
Train saw Legacy fight back through sheer will. Despite heroics from Wicadia and jottAAA, Legacy survived two match points and stole the map in double overtime, courtesy of dumau and latto.
Inferno turned into a statement from lux, who dropped a monstrous 2.70 rating and 148 ADR to force a decider. But on Nuke, it was Aurora’s turn to strike back — jottAAA’s pistol-round quad-kill set the tone before Aurora closed it out 13–11 to finally lift the trophy.
Breaking the Curse
For Aurora, this win means more than just silverware. After countless close calls, they’ve proven they can finish strong under pressure. MAJ3R admitted the team had been in its “toughest period” over the past two years, but this victory restores belief and momentum heading into the Budapest Major.
“Sometimes things weren’t going our way,” said Özgür “woxic” Eker. “But today we managed to make it for the first time. It’s going to give us great confidence ahead of the Major.”
XANTARES Crowned MVP of Bucharest
Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş capped off the event with a career milestone, claiming his first-ever LAN MVP award. The Turkish rifler posted a 1.27 average rating across 23 maps and dominated the grand final with a 1.36 rating — the highest on the server.
He ranked second overall in K-D differential (+75), second in ADR (90.7), and fourth in KPR (0.82), solidifying his reputation as one of Counter-Strike’s elite riflers. This marks his second MVP overall, the first since DreamHack Open Summer 2020, and adds to his trio of EVPs from earlier this year.
The numbers speak volumes, but this time, XANTARES’s impact extended beyond the scoreboard — his leadership, composure, and raw firepower carried Aurora through every moment that mattered.
Final Thoughts
Aurora’s triumph in Bucharest isn’t just a trophy — it’s a turning point. From heartbreaks to heroics, the Turkish powerhouse finally looks ready to challenge for the biggest prize of all. As the Budapest Major looms, the rest of the world has been put on notice: Aurora are no longer pretenders — they’re contenders.
Coverage by Tips.GG – Bringing you the best in Esports news, analysis, and tournament coverage.