Aurora’s abject failiure at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025 may be enough to kill this roster

For a long time now, Aurora have been Counter-Strike’s perennial “nearly men.” So close, but yet so far. “It’ll click eventually,” we all said, as the Turkish side teetered on the precipice of glory. That final push Aurora needed to finally start claiming silverware hasn’t happened so far this year, but after their disastrous failure at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025, I’m not convinced it ever will.

In a vacuum, a top-eight finish is par for the course for Aurora. But it wasn’t the fact that they lost in their Quarter-Final clash with The MongolZ. No, it was the fashion in which it occurred.

Aurora’s collapse against The MongolZ could kill this roster

After losing the first map 13:11, Aurora came into the second map vs. The MongolZ at blistering pace. They roared to an 11:0 lead, although the Mongolian team managed to pull back what felt like a consolation round to finish out the half. In almost every universe, it felt as though we were destined to head to a third-map decider.

But as the second half got underway, The MongolZ continued to win rounds. Aurora eventually got to 12, and it felt like they would see out the map as anticipated, despite being spooked by The MongolZ’s tenacity. Still, they continued to win, and Aurora’s lead shrank. As the score got closer, the previously loud Aurora fell silent as the weight on their shoulders visibly grew. From 11:0 down, they couldn’t, could they?

Sensational spray transfer from bLitz 🤯 #BLASTPremier @1mongolz pic.twitter.com/T2HSgptL5c

— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) August 14, 2025

As it turns out, they could. The MongolZ not only made it to overtime; they saw out the map 16:13 over Aurora, leaving the Turks shellshocked in defeat. Not 20 minutes prior, everyone watching was prepared for a third map, but now, Aurora were sent packing to de_airport.

It was another example of victory being within reach but beyond grasp for Aurora, but this time, it feels different. Sometimes, a loss can break a team beyond repair. Players lose confidence in each other, and it just spirals from there. This very much feels like it has the potential to do just that in this scenario – 11:0 to 16:13 is a special type of gigathrow that can take time to really overcome.

Aurora should consider a roster change before the Major

This Aurora lineup has been together for eight months now, with jottAAA joining the ex-Eternal Fire roster back in January. It was a change designed to push this lineup over the finish line, but it just hasn’t happened. You could argue it has only gotten worse. Well now, with four months before the Major, it could be time for Aurora to pull the trigger on a roster change.

It’s about getting ahead of the problems before they get worse. The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is Aurora’s biggest event of the year, and a change now would give them plenty of time to get in shape for the best chance of finishing the year in better form. But if they don’t pull the trigger ASAP, they risk the rot from a result like this festering for the rest of the year.

Who should go? It’s hard to say, and only internally can the team properly know where the problems land. But if this loss to The MongolZ at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025 doesn’t change anything, then I’m not sure what will.