Aurora Gaming are searching for a new CS2 coach after Fabre’s departure, with BLAST Bounty Summer qualifiers approaching.
Aurora Gaming announced the departure of Counter-Strike 2 coach Sezgin “Fabre” Kalaycı on Monday, June 29, ending his four-year stint with the Turkish squad.
Fabre joined the Turkish roster in November 2022, when Aurora Gaming’s core still played under the Eternal Fire banner.
Since joining, Fabre has helped İsmailсan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş and co. emerge as one of the world’s most formidable squads, regularly featuring in the playoffs of bigger events.
Notably, Fabre helped Aurora win PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 and secure silver medals at BLAST Bounty Spring 2025, ESL Pro League Season 20, and ESL Pro League Season 23.
He also led the team to a third-place finish at PGL Astana 2025 and, most recently, guided Aurora Gaming to the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major semifinals, where the Turkish squad had to admit defeat to FURIA.
In an announcement video posted on X, Fabre revealed that he had already informed Aurora and the players of his intentions in March, during ESL Pro League Season 23.
As explained by Fabre, several reasons led the 36-year-old to decide to take a step back, including some minor health issues. Ultimately, however, he said he simply wants a break from the competitive scene and some time to rest.
“I have been actively coaching for five years. You know the CS schedule. I thought I needed to take a break,” said Fabre.
While Fabre has decided to step down from Aurora Gaming, he left the door open for a future return, stating that he has no intention of leaving his job permanently.
With Fabre out of the team, Aurora have reportedly already set their sights on a replacement, with former GamerLegion coach Ashley “ash” Battye rumoured to be the leading candidate.
If confirmed, his arrival would mark Aurora’s official transition into an international roster setup.
Aurora Gaming have just over three weeks to find and sign a replacement coach ahead of their next tournament, BLAST Bounty Summer.
The event is set to begin on July 21 with closed qualifiers, where Aurora will face 32 other CS2 teams for one of eight tickets leading to the LAN stage.
Mark Prezelj
Esports Betting Analyst
Mark Prezelj is a Slovenian esports betting analyst with over 3,500 articles at EsportBet and the founder of Lines64.com — someone who has been reading odds longer than most readers have been watching esports.
