XANTARES claims first LAN MVP after Aurora’s PGL Masters Bucharest victory

XANTARES claims first LAN MVP after Aurora’s PGL Masters Bucharest victory

Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş has finally secured his first-ever LAN MVP award, following his team Aurora’s hard-fought triumph at the PGL Masters Bucharest 2025. 
The Turkish rifler, aged 30, posted an impressive 1.27 rating across 23 maps during the tournament — a performance that underscored his value and earned him the accolade. 

Aurora’s road through Bucharest began with a 2-0 start in the Swiss group stage, followed by a critical 2-2 decider where they defeated Astralis to secure a playoff spot.
From there, they eliminated B8 and GamerLegion en route to a grand-final showdown with Legacy, in a best-of-five that went the distance. 

With this victory, Aurora claimed their first notable LAN trophy. For XANTARES, while this is his first LAN MVP award, it comes after being ranked 15th in the world in 2024. 

Speaking after the win, XANTARES admitted that the team “sometimes choke so badly” and emphasised the need to work on their consistency — a candid reflection even in victory.