The captain of aurora , Engin " MAJ3R " Küpeli, shared his thoughts in an interview before the start of PGL Astana 2025 on the painful defeat to Complexity, the team's mental challenges in the playoffs, the support from the Turkish community, and the unique atmosphere in Kazakhstan .

aurora returned to lan after a month-long break. At PGL Bucharest 2025, they were considered favorites but lost to Complexity in the quarterfinals.

We lost in the studio, not in the arena. It's not about the format—it's like there's a psychological barrier when we reach the playoffs. But with each match, it gets better. We're making progress

At the same time, MAJ3R acknowledges the high level of preparation by their opponents, which also played a role.

Complexity had two long bootcamps before the tournament. They looked composed and well-prepared. And we—it's like we didn't push hard enough, even though all predictions were in our favor

After the loss, the Turkish community unleashed a wave of criticism. But MAJ3R didn't stay silent—he went live and explained everything to the fans.

I hosted a stream watched by 5,000 people. I just honestly explained why we left the previous organization, what went wrong, and the reasons behind it. People understood. Now, 80% of the messages are positive. On the first day, there were none, just a flood of hate

The aurora organization also played a crucial role in restoring trust from Turkish fans.

They do an excellent job on social media. They help us, they help the fans. We're all working together to bring the Turkish community back with us

Now the team is in Kazakhstan for PGL Astana 2025, and MAJ3R feels extraordinary support here. This could be a turning point.

It's my first time in Kazakhstan . There's a connection here: the people, the religion, the mentality. When I walk outside, I feel positive energy. This could be a very important tournament for us emotionally

Among the favorites at the tournament are aurora , NAVI, Spirit , and TheMongolz . But does MAJ3R consider his team a title contender?

If I say "no," I'd be lying to myself. We are one of the favorites. There are things we need to fix, but I'm confident—we'll overcome this barrier soon. Maybe in Astana, maybe in Dallas (at IEM Dallas 2025) or at the major (BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025). But it will happen

Finally, the aurora captain feels that the team is on the right path—both in terms of preparation and mentality.

We had a break, and it was beneficial. I rested, the team rebooted. We're hungry for victories again and know what we're playing for. The main thing is to keep learning and moving forward.