Aurora Edge HOTU 2–1 as soulfly Makes Competitive Debut at BLAST Bounty 2026

Aurora Claim 2–1 Win Over HOTU in soulfly’s Team Debut

Turkish side Aurora opened their BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 online campaign with a narrow 2–1 victory over Russian team HOTU on January 13. The match was particularly notable as 21-year-old rifler Caner “soulfly” Kesici made his first official appearance for Aurora following a recent roster change.

Background: soulfly Joins Aurora

Earlier in the off-season, Aurora announced they had benched Samet “jottAAA” Köklü in favor of signing soulfly — a player most recently known for his time at Fire Flux Esports. The 21-year-old impressed on Fire Flux with a strong rating across nearly 400 competitive maps, earning him a spot on HLTV’s Prospect Report prior to the move.

This signing made soulfly’s debut expected at the start of Aurora’s BLAST Bounty run, a show of confidence in the team’s revised lineup aiming to improve on 2025 results.

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Match Summary: Map-by-Map Breakdown

The best-of-three series featured Mirage, Nuke, and Overpass. HOTU, seeded lower, chose Mirage first, with Aurora seeding as favorites.

Map 1: Mirage — Aurora Take Early Lead (13–7)

HOTU got on the board quickly, but Aurora fought back in the second half, with key contributions from XANTARES and woxic on offense. This secured a 13–7 win and put Aurora ahead in the series.

Map 2: Nuke — HOTU Force Decider (16–13)

Aurora’s Wicadia stood out, even scoring an ace in a pivotal 2-versus-5 situation, but the team was unable to maintain momentum. After building a strong lead, Aurora collapsed in the second half, and HOTU mounted a comeback. Exceptional calling from HOTU enabled them to reach overtime and ultimately close out the map 16–13, leveling the series.

Map 3: Overpass — Aurora Close Series (13–5)

HOTU began strong, jumping to a 4-1 advantage. However, Aurora asserted dominance from that point forward. With Wicadia and XANTARES proving immovable, Aurora outclassed HOTU and sealed the deciding map 13–5.

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Standout Performances & Roster Context

While soulfly’s first match was not individually standout statistically, Aurora’s core stars delivered strong shows:

• Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın posted high ratings, especially on the last two maps, showcasing his leadership and fragging impact.

• Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş also played a key role across the series, consistently influencing rounds on both Mirage and Overpass.

Aurora’s revamped starting lineup now features:

• MAJ3R (IGL)

• XANTARES

• woxic

• Wicadia

• soulfly
  (Coach: Sezgin “Fabre” Kalaycı)

The victory keeps Aurora’s BLAST Bounty journey alive as they progress in the online stage, while HOTU will regroup after the loss despite some strong moments on Nuke.