Eternal Fire turn four: from 2021 “Turkish superteam” to Aurora era—and a fresh rebuild at home

August 13, 2025 — Four years ago today, the Turkish “dream team” Eternal Fire was unveiled as Özgür “woxic” Eker and İsmailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş returned to compete from their home region. The founding lineup—woxic, XANTARES, Buğra “Calyx” Arkın, Ömer “imoRR” Karataş, and Jordanian rifler Issa “ISSAA” Murad—was introduced on August 13, 2021, with the ambition of uniting top Turkish talent under one banner. 

The project hit early turbulence: ISSAA departed roughly two months after launch, citing difficulties adapting to life in Turkey. The roster continued as an all-Turkish five and, in April 2022, Eternal Fire secured the club’s first Major berth by defeating OG at the PGL Antwerp European RMR. They reached the Challengers Stage in Antwerp before exiting at the hands of MIBR. 

Eternal Fire’s high-water mark to date arrived in May 2024, when XANTARES, woxic and company captured the CCT Global Finals 2024 title over Liquid, 3–1, earning $250,000 and capping an excellent run through the event. 

The organization’s storyline pivoted dramatically in April–May 2025: Aurora Gaming acquired the entire Eternal Fire roster (players and coach), with the Turkish five switching jerseys from PGL Bucharest onwards. Liquipedia and HLTV list the transferred lineup as MAJ3R, XANTARES, woxic, Wicadia, jottAAA, coached by Fabre. In May, HLTV also reported woxic’s explanation that the move followed “lack of CS sponsorship conditions in Turkey.” 

As of August 2025, the two original headliners—XANTARES and woxic—remain the cornerstone of Aurora’s active roster. XANTARES briefly missed IEM Cologne for family reasons but returned to Aurora’s starting five for upcoming events, per the team and HLTV. 

Back in Istanbul, Eternal Fire did not close shop. On May 11, 2025, the organization relaunched with an all-Turkish rebuild led by familiar faces Calyx and imoRR, surrounding them with domestic prospects and a new staff group. HLTV’s announcement and Liquipedia’s roster timeline confirm the return of the duo and the club’s post-sale reconstruction. 

Snapshot of the four-year arc

• Founded: August 13, 2021 (woxic, XANTARES, Calyx, imoRR, ISSAA).

• First Major: Qualified for PGL Antwerp 2022 (eliminated in Challengers).

• Trophy highlight: CCT Global Finals 2024 champions vs. Liquid (3–1).

• Roster sale: Full lineup transferred to Aurora in April/May 2025.

• Rebuild: Calyx and imoRR headline EF’s new, all-Turkish roster (May 11, 2025).

Bottom line: On the organization’s fourth anniversary, Eternal Fire’s legacy spans a landmark Major debut, a notable international title, and one of 2025’s biggest roster transfers. With XANTARES and woxic now chasing trophies under Aurora, and Calyx/imoRR spearheading EF’s reboot, Turkish Counter-Strike splits into two parallel stories—one competing at the top with a new badge, the other rebuilding at home to write the next chapter.