FUT has secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Esports World Cup 2026 following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Magic in the Round of 16. The series tested the Turkish organization early as they dropped the opening map before rallying to close out the match.
Beyond the server result, the event marks a significant milestone for the roster. This is the team’s first offline appearance with Yasin “xfl0ud” Koç, who officially debuted with the squad last month during the online group stage of BLAST Bounty Season 2. He stepped in to replace Laurențiu “lauNX” Țârlea, a roster move that team captain Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija admits caught the squad off guard.
The departure of lauNX
When asked about the recent roster adjustments, Krabeni indicated that the team experienced sudden instability regarding player transfers and offers behind the scenes.
I just know that it was surprising a bit from him,” Krabeni said regarding lauNX’s exit. “We had some problem with players like maybe getting offer wanting to leave or wanting to stay and stuff. I can’t really say much about what happened but I’m happy that we are with this lineup.
Despite the abrupt change, Krabeni holds no ill will toward his former teammate, noting that player transactions are ultimately out of his direct control as the in-game leader. He described lauNX as a nice guy and accepted the final organizational decision.
Adapting to xfl0ud on LAN
Replacing an established player requires time, especially when introducing new defensive assignments. According to Krabeni, xfl0ud is adjusting well to the offensive default, while his Counter-Terrorist positioning remains a work in progress due to unfamiliar roles.
He fits pretty good on the T side roles,” Krabeni explained. “On CT side he is playing the new position which is the long position, but he didn’t play this before in the past in Heroic and in other teams. He is just learning the position but we are happy with him and we are happy that we are going to quarterfinal.
Overcoming early pressure against Magic
The quarterfinal qualification did not come easy. FUT entered the matchup as the clear favorite but struggled immediately, losing the first map after uncharacteristic mistakes and unfavorable clutch scenarios. Krabeni pointed to playoff nerves and passive gameplay as the primary factors for their initial stumble.
I think when it’s playoffs like this, we have a bit of pressure,” Krabeni said. “We were not active in the map. We were letting them play the game and we’re just waiting to get executed. That was the main reason.
The team regrouped outside the venue after the first map, resetting their mentality to take the final two maps and secure the series win. FUT now looks ahead to their quarterfinal matchup as they continue to integrate xfl0ud into the system on the LAN stage.
