woxic on Aurora’s International Move: “I Forgot the Feeling”
Özgür “woxic” Eker has opened up about Aurora’s transition from a Turkish core to an international CS2 roster, admitting that returning to English communication after years of playing primarily in his native language required a significant adjustment.
Speaking to HLTV after Aurora secured a playoff spot at the Esports World Cup 2026, woxic said he had effectively “forgotten the feeling” of competing in an international lineup. The Turkish AWPer also discussed his developing relationship with new in-game leader Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski, coach Ashley “ash” Battye, and the criticism Aurora received after moving away from a fully Turkish roster.
Quick Summary
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Player | Özgür “woxic” Eker |
| Team | Aurora |
| Main subject | Aurora’s transition to an international roster |
| Communication | English |
| New IGL | Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski |
| Coach | Ashley “ash” Battye |
| International additions | kyxsan, Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo |
| Event | Esports World Cup 2026 |
| EWC status | Playoffs secured |
| Interview source | HLTV |
| Interview date | August 18, 2026 |
What Did woxic Say About Aurora’s International Move?
Aurora’s roster overhaul created a new challenge for woxic: communicating consistently in English again.
The 27-year-old AWPer spent several years competing in Turkish-speaking environments before Aurora changed direction in July 2026. Asked by HLTV what returning to an international lineup felt like, woxic summarized the adjustment simply:
“I forgot the feeling.”
He explained that after roughly five or six years of communicating predominantly in his native language, his instinct would sometimes still be to make a call in Turkish before consciously switching to English.
The transition was particularly difficult during the team's first days together, but woxic believes the situation has already improved substantially.
According to the AWPer, after around a month and a half to two months of working in English, Aurora's Turkish players have become much more comfortable with the new communication system. He added that he no longer feels teammates are left uncertain about calls during matches or practice.
That development is important because Aurora's international rebuild goes far beyond replacing two players. It changes how information is processed and delivered during every round.
Aurora’s International Roster Explained
Aurora officially completed its international rebuild on July 8, 2026, when kyxsan joined from Falcons.
The Macedonian IGL followed the earlier arrivals of Finnish player Jimpphat and British coach ash. They replaced MAJ3R, soulfly, and former coach Fabre in Aurora's previous Turkish setup.
Current Aurora CS2 Roster
| Player | Country | Status |
| XANTARES | Türkiye | Player |
| woxic | Türkiye | Player / AWPer |
| Wicadia | Türkiye | Player |
| Jimpphat | Finland | Player |
| kyxsan | North Macedonia | IGL |
| ash | United Kingdom | Coach |
The lineup therefore retains the Turkish trio of XANTARES, woxic, and Wicadia while introducing international leadership and a new non-Turkish rifler. HLTV and BLAST both list this five-player lineup as Aurora's current roster.
Why kyxsan Could Be Important for woxic
woxic's aggressive AWPing has been a defining feature of his career, making his developing relationship with Aurora IGL kyxsan particularly important.
One of the most interesting parts of woxic's interview concerned the relationship between an AWPer and his in-game leader.
woxic said that kyxsan and ash have an in-game mindset similar to his own. He also suggested that kyxsan understands the importance of giving an aggressive AWPer freedom to create opportunities.
That freedom can be especially significant for woxic.
Rather than simply waiting for a predetermined AWP duel, woxic described situations where kyxsan actively encourages him to exploit an opponent's movement or positioning. The effect is both tactical and psychological: the AWPer knows that his IGL trusts him to make proactive decisions.
Tactical Impact
The early evidence suggests Aurora wants to preserve woxic's ability to create openings rather than over-structure his AWPing.
That distinction matters.
An international rebuild can tempt a team to simplify its system while communication develops. Aurora instead appears willing to maintain room for initiative, with kyxsan identifying potential opportunities and woxic also proposing his own ideas.
This is analysis rather than a confirmed permanent tactical blueprint, and Aurora's system may continue to evolve as the roster gains experience.
From Turkish Communication to English
Communication may be the most important long-term variable in Aurora's rebuild.
English is not new to woxic. His career includes successful periods in international teams, most notably with MOUZ. The difference is that after years of playing within a Turkish structure, instantaneous Turkish communication became natural again.
Counter-Strike communication is also considerably more demanding than conversational English.
Players have to identify positions, utility, timings, rotations and opponent tendencies while simultaneously processing what is happening on screen. Even a small delay can matter.
That makes woxic's assessment that Aurora's players are beginning to understand each other naturally a potentially meaningful sign of progress — although a deeper sample of top-level LAN matches will be required before the transition can be judged conclusively.
Aurora International Rebuild Timeline
| Date | Development |
| June 29, 2026 | Aurora's separation from coach Fabre was reported by HLTV |
| July 2, 2026 | MAJ3R stepped down from Aurora |
| July 2, 2026 | soulfly was benched |
| July 3, 2026 | Aurora signed Jimpphat |
| July 3, 2026 | Aurora signed ash as coach |
| July 8, 2026 | Aurora completed the rebuild by signing kyxsan |
| July 22, 2026 | New international lineup began its StarSeries Fall qualifier run with wins over K27 and Nemesis |
| July 26, 2026 | Aurora qualified for StarSeries Fall 2026 |
| August 18, 2026 | Aurora reached the EWC 2026 playoffs and woxic discussed the international transition |
Aurora's July roster changes and the subsequent debut of the international lineup are documented by HLTV.
Aurora’s Road to the EWC 2026 Playoffs
The Esports World Cup offered a much more prominent test of the rebuilt roster.
Aurora began its EWC campaign with a loss to BIG. The team recovered by defeating M80 and then JiJieHao to secure a playoff berth.
woxic emphasized that Aurora did not underestimate JiJieHao. The team approached the match with the level of focus it would expect to bring against an elite opponent, particularly after JiJieHao had already demonstrated upset potential.
For a roster still building its communication structure, reaching the EWC playoffs provides additional high-pressure matches in which to test the new system.
Key Details
| Question | Answer |
| Why did woxic need to adapt? | Aurora switched from a Turkish-speaking setup to an international roster using English |
| How long has the new lineup been developing? | Roughly one and a half to two months according to woxic at the time of the interview |
| Who leads Aurora? | kyxsan |
| Who coaches Aurora? | ash |
| Who remained from the Turkish core? | XANTARES, woxic and Wicadia |
| Who joined the lineup? | Jimpphat and kyxsan |
| Is communication improving? | woxic says the players are becoming accustomed to speaking English |
| Has Aurora reached the EWC playoffs? | Yes |
| Long-term outcome of rebuild | TBD |
Why the woxic Interview Matters
Aurora's roster change represents more than a conventional player transfer.
The previous structure had a strong national identity, and woxic acknowledged that sections of the Turkish fanbase reacted negatively when Aurora abandoned the fully Turkish lineup.
He told HLTV that he could understand that reaction because supporters had followed the players for years and viewed the lineup almost like a group of brothers.
woxic also stressed that XANTARES, Wicadia, and himself remain part of the team and continue representing themselves and their country at international events.
His expectation is straightforward: results could change perceptions.
That makes Aurora's next few tournaments important not only competitively but also for how supporters ultimately judge the organization's international experiment.
Historical Context: woxic Has Done This Before
International Counter-Strike is familiar territory for woxic, whose earlier career included a successful spell with MOUZ and a No. 12 finish in HLTV's Top 20 players of 2019.
For woxic personally, international Counter-Strike is familiar territory.
His previous international experience includes MOUZ, where he competed in one of the strongest periods of his career. His HLTV profile records a No. 12 placement in the 2019 Top 20 players ranking, while his Major history includes appearances with HellRaisers, MOUZ, Eternal Fire, and Aurora.
The challenge in 2026 is therefore not whether woxic can function internationally.
It is whether he and Aurora can rapidly rebuild the communication habits required to make the team's new multinational structure work consistently against elite opposition.
Impact Analysis
Impact on woxic
The new system may offer woxic greater tactical freedom under kyxsan.
The AWPer specifically praised the IGL's willingness to encourage proactive moves. If that relationship continues to develop, Aurora could potentially maximize one of woxic's defining qualities: his willingness to seek high-impact AWP engagements.
Impact on Aurora
Aurora now has access to a much larger international player market instead of being structurally limited to Turkish talent.
The trade-off is obvious: communication and team identity need to be rebuilt.
HLTV's analysis of the roster construction also described the five-man lineup as relatively balanced positionally, with few obvious role clashes.
Tournament Impact
Reaching the EWC playoffs gives Aurora valuable high-pressure experience early in the international project's lifespan.
It does not prove the rebuild has succeeded, but it provides a stronger competitive test than online practice or qualifiers alone.
Ranking / VRS Impact
BLAST's current Aurora profile lists the team 8th in the Global Valve Ranking with 1,723 points at the time of verification. Rankings are dynamic and should be rechecked before publication if this article is updated later.
What Changes Now for Aurora?
The most important change is that Aurora can increasingly focus on improving its Counter-Strike rather than simply learning how to communicate it.
If English calls become automatic, the team can devote more attention to deeper tactical details, mid-round adaptations and coordination.
At the same time, the project remains young.
The current lineup only dates back to July 2026, so conclusions about its long-term ceiling would be premature. HLTV's lineup database recorded just 14 maps for this configuration in its latest indexed snapshot.
What to Watch Next
There are four major questions surrounding Aurora after woxic's comments:
- Communication under playoff pressure: English calls during elimination matches will provide a more demanding test than practice.
- woxic's freedom under kyxsan: Watch whether Aurora continues enabling proactive AWP moves and opening attempts.
- Jimpphat's integration: The Finnish rifler is another major component of the international transition.
- Results versus elite opposition: Deep tournament runs will ultimately determine whether Aurora's higher-ceiling international strategy works.
Aurora's event calendar also includes BLAST Open Porto 2026, scheduled to begin on August 26, followed by StarLadder StarSeries Fall in September, according to HLTV's current team listing.
FAQ
Why did woxic say “I forgot the feeling”?
woxic was describing his return to playing in an international lineup and communicating in English after spending roughly five or six years primarily using his native Turkish in team environments.
Is Aurora an international CS2 team now?
Yes. Aurora moved away from its fully Turkish lineup in July 2026 by adding Finnish rifler Jimpphat, North Macedonian IGL kyxsan, and British coach ash alongside XANTARES, woxic, and Wicadia.
Who is Aurora's IGL?
Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski is Aurora's in-game leader. He joined the organization from Falcons in July 2026.
Is woxic comfortable communicating in English?
According to woxic, the transition was difficult initially, but after approximately one and a half to two months the team had become significantly more accustomed to English communication.
Did Aurora qualify for the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs?
Yes. Aurora recovered from an opening loss against BIG by defeating M80 and JiJieHao to secure a playoff spot.
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