Following the IEM Cologne Major, Aurora shifted from a Turkish core to an international lineup with the additions of Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski and Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo. As the team approaches 50 days of official play, their new in-game leader highlights both the progress made and the remaining hurdles, particularly regarding communication.
Finding a system with Coach Ash
Integrating into a roster that retained three players from its previous iteration requires establishing a functional balance. kyxsan and head coach Ashley “ash” Battye are currently working to merge the preferred playstyles of the former Turkish lineup with new concepts.
It’s always hard when you join a new team especially where you don’t know anyone,” kyxsan explains. “Right now it’s mostly me bringing most of the ideas but also trying to take some of the things that worked for them in the past from the Turkish lineup.
The existing core has been receptive to the new direction. According to kyxsan, the players have bought into the project entirely.
The Turkish guys, I mean everyone in the team, I feel they gave me trust from the first day and whatever I come up with, let’s say new strat or whatever it is, they always believe in it,” he says.
Structural differences from Falcons
Before joining Aurora, kyxsan directed players like Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov in Falcons. When asked about the differences between calling for his previous team and his new project, he pointed out a distinct shift in the team hierarchy.
Compared to Falcons, I would say there’s also some easier things, in a way,” kyxsan notes. “I feel like in Falcons obviously, there were a lot of players who had a big voice, and everyone had some kind of opinion of how we should do things. I feel like here it’s a bit more strict in a way that ash has a really big voice, and also I’m responsible for the T side, so I feel like from that side it’s a bit easier.
Overcoming the communication barrier
Despite a more streamlined calling structure, the move to an international format presents an immediate challenge. Certain players on the roster are adjusting to speaking English daily in a competitive setting.
The team has utilized a high volume of early official matches to accelerate their learning process. While kyxsan acknowledges that the team is still in its early days, refining their communication protocols remains the primary focus before they can challenge top-tier opposition consistently.
I think the communication, obviously I think it’s becoming better and better but there’s still a lot of room for improvement,” kyxsan states. “I think once we fix that we can be really dangerous.
This interview was made before the start of BLAST Open Porto 2026, where Aurora lost their first match against G2. The new international roster will play tomorrow against DENDELE in the lower bracket.
