Aurora say goodbye to Fabre and eye an international project

Aurora announced on June 29 the departure of their head coach, Sezgin "Fabre" Kalaycı, closing one of the most stable chapters in recent Turkish CS. The 36-year-old joined the team in November 2022, when it still competed under Eternal Fire, and over time turned it into a regular playoff contender. His biggest achievement in charge was the title at PGL Masters Bucharest in November 2025.

As Fabre himself explained in a video posted on X, this isn't a firing: he was the one who told management and the players, during ESL Pro League 23, of his wish to go inactive. The reason, in short, is to rest and recharge after five uninterrupted years working as a coach, on a notably demanding competitive schedule. His final game on the bench came at the IEM Cologne Major, where Aurora fell to FURIA in the semi-finals.

The end of the Turkish project

Fabre's exit comes amid a wave of rumors about the team's future. According to the information going around, Aurora are reportedly preparing a transition toward an international roster, with former GamerLegion coach Ashley "ash" Battye said to be on the verge of taking over the project. If confirmed, it would mark the end of the all-Turkish lineup the club built in 2025 by absorbing the Eternal Fire squad: MAJ3R, XANTARES, woxic, Wicadia, and soulfly.

The signs were there from within. After the elimination in Cologne, captain Engin "MAJ3R" Küpeli already admitted the future was uncertain and acknowledged that, as a five-Turkish team, they had gone as far as they could at that Major.

It's worth treating the "international team" part as exactly what it is for now: a rumor. The only official news today is Fabre's departure. Everything else — including the name ash — is pending confirmation from the club. We'll have to wait for Aurora's announcements over the coming weeks, in the middle of the summer transfer window, to find out which direction one of the scene's most-followed teams ultimately takes.

Source: HLTV, Dust2.