Aurora overcomes jet lag, lower bracket run to make IEM Dallas playoffs

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Aurora doesn’t let jetlag or exhaustion get in the way; instead, they regroup to finish their lower bracket run during the group stage of IEM Dallas.

The Turkish esports team, Aurora, has astonishingly advanced to the IEM Dallas playoffs this week. Arriving in the U.S. mere hours before their initial match against HEROIC, which they predictably lost, Aurora has since clinched three consecutive victories, even managing a bit of payback against their day one opponents.

Winning the lower bracket in the group stage guarantees that Aurora (formerly known as Eternal Fire) will be part of eight major tournament playoffs in 2025 – an impressive feat without a single miss.

Perfect playoff conversion as Aurora book tickets to IEM Dallas stage

Aurora reached Dallas just prior to their initial group stage game following an extended stint at PGL Astana that lasted until the last day. Consequently, the team found themselves with no opportunity to adjust or acclimate to the conditions in Texas.

In the match against HEROIC, many spectators didn’t anticipate that Aurora would snatch the opening round so heroically, leaving commentators amazed after Aurora won Dust 2 with a score of 13-9. However, as the series progressed, it became evident that Aurora was running out of steam. Despite managing to recover from an initial 11-1 deficit on Anubis to keep HEROIC guessing, Aurora’s energy levels eventually dwindled, leading to a 13-10 loss on Anubis and a subsequent 13-6 defeat on Mirage, forcing them into the lower bracket.

However, Aurora retaliated strongly. With an effortless sweep, the Turkish squad defeated NRG and Liquid, former North American hopefuls, paving the way for another encounter with HEROIC following their victory against s1mple’s FaZe.

Or in a more concise version: Aurora fought back, while the Turkish team eased past NRG and Liquid to face HEROIC again after beating s1mple’s FaZe.

This time around, Aurora opted to go with Train at the start, but this strategy proved costly as Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich (21-8, 120 ADR, 2.00 rating) ruled over HEROIC instead.

However, Aurora persisted and discovered a solution in their choice of Dust 2, winning 13-8 before securing HEROIC’s defeat on Mirage 13-9 for good. It’s truly astonishing how this team, who appeared to be struggling on day one, managed to reach the playoffs.

Speaking after the game, I, Samet “jottAAA” Köklü, couldn’t be more thrilled about making it to another playoffs! I’m incredibly proud of my teammates too. The journey to Dallas for our Turkish team was nothing short of grueling. We battled through illness, jetlag, and exhausting matchdays from the get-go. Aurora faced challenges from the start, but we persevered!

2025 will mark Aurora’s seventh straight LAN playoff appearance, a crucial victory that was achieved. Despite numerous discussions about their stage-fright problems, this team has yet to translate their final appearances into a championship title.

Conversely, Aurora placing third at PGL Astana, along with a month-long hiatus post PGL Bucharest, seems to have revitalized the Turkish team for Dallas and the Austin Major.

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2025-05-22 06:10