Aurora in-game leader Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski has admitted frustration with his team’s early results after another difficult series at BLAST Open Porto 2026.
The international roster opened the tournament with a 0-2 defeat against G2, continuing an inconsistent start since Aurora rebuilt the lineup. According to kyxsan, the biggest issue is not necessarily a lack of progress behind the scenes. Instead, Aurora are struggling to reproduce the level they regularly show during practice when official matches begin.
G2 punish Aurora’s mistakes
Aurora’s opening BLAST Open Porto series quickly exposed some of the problems kyxsan believes are holding the team back.
G2 won the best-of-three 2-0, with Aurora particularly frustrated by the conclusion of Anubis. The team collapsed late on the map and surrendered nine consecutive rounds as G2 took control.
kyxsan pointed toward Aurora giving away too many opening kills. Those early disadvantages frequently left the roster attempting to recover four-versus-five situations, making their defensive structure increasingly difficult to maintain.
- Aurora lost their BLAST Open Porto opener 0-2 against G2
- They conceded nine consecutive rounds late on Anubis
- kyxsan highlighted frequent opening deaths as a major problem
- Aurora now need to respond through the lower bracket
The result follows Aurora’s Round of 16 exit at the Esports World Cup, meaning the rebuilt roster is still searching for its first major breakthrough.
Practice performances have not translated to LAN
The most concerning part for kyxsan is the difference between Aurora in scrims and Aurora during official games.
The IGL believes the team shows substantially more confidence, creativity and coordination in practice. Once tournament pressure is added, that version of Aurora has repeatedly disappeared.
kyxsan says he sees a fundamentally different team in practice compared with the one currently appearing in official matches.
That gap is particularly frustrating because the team feels its development behind the scenes has been positive. kyxsan said he has been able to introduce his preferred ideas while receiving support from both the players and coach Ashley “ashhh” Battye.
| Aurora situation | Current status |
|---|---|
| Time together | Around one month |
| LAN events | Two |
| EWC result | Round of 16 exit |
| Porto opener | 0-2 vs G2 |
| Main concern | Practice form not translating |
Aurora’s playbook is also still developing. The roster has not been together long enough to establish every system kyxsan wants to implement, which makes inconsistency less surprising.
A new structure around kyxsan and ashhh
Aurora’s current approach differs from the structure used by the organization’s previous lineup.
kyxsan and ashhh carry most of the responsibility for developing the team’s overall style, although players are encouraged to contribute their own ideas. XANTARES is particularly involved with CT-side decisions.
The objective is to give individual players freedom while maintaining enough structure for kyxsan to make informed calls during rounds.
- kyxsan and ashhh lead the tactical direction
- XANTARES contributes significantly on CT sides
- Players are encouraged to suggest their own setups and plays
- Aurora are still expanding the team’s overall playbook
For a lineup containing experienced names such as XANTARES and woxic alongside newer additions including Jimpphat, finding that balance could take time.
kyxsan believes several months may be required before Aurora can realistically judge the team’s level.
Busy schedule creates advantages and problems
Aurora’s schedule adds another complication.
Frequent official matches provide valuable competitive experience, especially for a recently assembled roster. kyxsan believes teams can learn more about their actual level during tournament games than in practice.
At the same time, constant events reduce the amount of time available for tactical work.
Theory sessions, new setups and deeper playbook development become harder when teams are repeatedly traveling and preparing for immediate opponents.
For Aurora, that creates a difficult balance. The roster needs official experience to improve its communication under pressure, but it also requires uninterrupted practice periods to build the structure that could eventually make those matches easier.
Expectations remain high despite the rebuild
Aurora may be a new lineup, but expectations are still significant.
The previous version of the organization regularly competed around the top level of Counter-Strike, and the current roster includes several players with extensive tier-one experience.
kyxsan therefore understands that time alone will not remove pressure.
He described his current role as somewhat less difficult than his previous spell with Falcons, where expectations and external criticism were particularly intense. Aurora still face pressure to produce results, but the environment gives him more room to build his preferred system.
Assessment
Aurora’s current problems look less like a definitive failure and more like the predictable instability of a newly constructed roster.
One month is a short period for an international lineup to establish a complete playbook, especially when major tournaments arrive almost immediately. The encouraging element is that kyxsan believes the quality already exists during practice.
The difficult part is transferring it.
If Aurora continue giving away opening kills and losing structure once matches become stressful, strong practice results will offer little consolation. Their next challenge at BLAST Open Porto will therefore be another important test of whether the roster can close the gap between potential and actual tournament performance.
The lineup still has time, but with the level of talent available, expectations will increase quickly if those improvements remain invisible on the server.
