MAJ3R Takes a Step Back from Aurora

On Thursday, July 2, Aurora Gaming announced that their long-time in-game leader Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli is stepping down from the active Counter-Strike 2 roster.

In the announcement, MAJ3R stated that stepping away from the game was not an easy decision. However, he decided to pause competitive play to focus on his family and his duties as a husband and father.

TEŞEKKÜRLER MAJ3R! YAKINDA GÖRÜŞMEK ÜZERE.

Espor sahnesinde geçirdiği yirmi yıl boyunca Engin, bu oyunun en görkemli anlarına da en zorlu dönemlerine de tanıklık etti. Turnuvaların internet kafelerden binlerce insanın doldurduğu dev arenalara dönüşmesini, XANTARES ve woxic gibi… pic.twitter.com/q7QfrxKht3

— Aurora CS2 (@AuroraCS2_GG) July 2, 2026

• 

  Fast Payouts

Despite stepping back from Aurora’s active roster, the 35-year-old will not completely remove himself from professional play or the organisation.

MAJ3R will remain part of Aurora, with his new role set to be announced soon.

MAJ3R’s departure ends his year-long stint as the team’s captain, having joined the Turkish core of Özgür “woxic” Eker, Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın, and Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş in April 2025.

During his stay with the roster, MAJ3R helped Aurora establish themselves as a formidable force in the tier-one scene, regularly producing deep runs in some of the biggest events of the season.

Aurora’s most notable tournament run with MAJ3R came at PGL Bucharest 2025, where they hoisted the trophy.

They also claimed silver medals at the Esports World Cup 2025 and ESL Pro League Season 23, while more recently placing in the top four at Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major.

The abrupt departure of MAJ3R comes amid a major roster restructure for Aurora, which started on Monday with the departure of coach Sezgin “Fabre” Kalaycı, who had been with the roster for nearly four years.

• 

  The bookies' bookie

After losing two key members, Aurora Gaming now field only four active players and have just under three weeks to finalise the lineup.

Aurora Gaming’s next competitive endeavour is set to begin on July 21 at the BLAST Bounty Summer 2026 closed qualifiers, where they will join 31 other Counter-Strike 2 teams in a battle for one of eight LAN invites.

Currently ranked sixth in the global rankings and eighth in the Valve Regional Standings, Aurora have yet to hint which player and coach will fill the missing gaps.