Aurora Pull Off Win Over Astralis in Magisk’s Astralis Comeback

Aurora Pull Off Win Over Astralis in Magisk’s Astralis Comeback
FISSURE Playground 2 – Round 1, Belgrade, Serbia — September 12, 2025

Turkish side Aurora edged out Astralis 2-1 in a tightly fought Best-of-Three, handing the Danes a tough debut since Emil “Magisk” Reif’s return to the roster. The match took place in the Swiss Round 1 of FISSURE Playground 2. 

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Map-by-map Breakdown

• Nuke
  Astralis struck first, taking the opener 13-8. Their win was greatly helped by Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen, who opened momentum with a clutch 1v2 on the Terrorist side and ended the map with 20 kills.

• Dust2
  Aurora came alive in map two. Despite trailing heavily (3-11), they rallied back and forced overtime. Key plays by Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş and Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın helped them close it out 16-14 in OT. It was a momentum-swinging turn after Astralis looked dominant early.

• Overpass (Decider)
  In the final map, Aurora managed a 13-9 victory. Though Astralis attempted to recover after a weak start, Aurora held firm—especially strong on the T (terrorist) side—securing the series.

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Key Players & Performances

• Aurora:

  • XANTARES stood out, finishing the match with 59 kills to 45 deaths, +14 K/D differential, and a team-high 1.15 rating.

  • Wicadia also made significant contributions, though with more mixed results across maps.

  • Others like jottAAA, woxic, and MAJ3R had varying impact; MAJ3R in particular struggled on Overpass.

• Astralis:

  • device had a strong stat line overall, and was especially effective in finding openings.

  • HooXi was instrumental on Nuke, but couldn’t maintain dominance through the rest of the series.

  • Staehr had a rough series, with one of the lowest ratings (0.74) of the match. He’s under pressure to compensate for the absence of former AWPer stavn, who stepped away from Astralis for personal reasons.

• Magisk:
  Magisk’s return is the big storyline. He’s now back in the Astralis roster after stavn’s departure. While this match wasn’t a statement showing from him individually—his numbers were modest and below top form—his presence marks a shift in Astralis’ structure and expectations.

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Strategic & Contextual Notes

• Astralis’ Resilience but Missed Opportunities
  Astralis showed flashes of dominance—especially in map one and then a strong recovery in Dust2—but couldn’t close out after falling behind. Their ability to stage comebacks is intact; closing matters in tight moments seems to be the issue.

• Aurora’s Mentality & Momentum
  Aurora demonstrated good composure, especially on Dust2 where they’d been nearly overwhelmed early. The ability to stay calm, force OT, and then carry that energy into the decider was critical. Their performance on Overpass, particularly on the T side, underscores they can execute under pressure.

• Astralis’ Roster Changes & Pressure on Staehr
  With stavn stepping away, Astralis have looked to reorganize. Staehr is in a more prominent position, role-wise, and the expectations are high. Early on, however, his form has been patchy.

• What This Means Going Forward
  For Aurora, this is a morale-boosting win. It adds credentials in a LAN setting and proves they can hang in with legacy organizations even when they have momentum. For Astralis, this is a warning: new or returning pieces in a roster (like Magisk) take time to gel, and past reputation won’t carry them through without strong, individual performances.