Aurora Gaming MAJ3R Announces Retirement
Aurora Gaming Counter-Strike IGL MAJ3R is stepping away from competitive play after a two-decade career.
Aurora Gaming announced MAJ3R was leaving its main roster on July 2, 2026. Image Credits: @AuroraCS2_GG via X.com
MAJ3R is one of Turkish Counter-Strike’s most well-known players and a core part of Aurora Gaming’s roster. After a two-decade career, he has just announced his retirement from pro play. Here’s everything we know.
Aurora Gaming’s MAJ3R Announces Retirement
On July 2, 2026, Aurora Gaming in-game leader Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli announced his official retirement from the pro scene. MAJ3R, who began playing competitively in 2006, has a two-decade-long esports career (rare for the industry) and has played for Aurora Gaming since April 2025. Previously, he represented Eternal Fire, Space Soldiers, and Sangal Esports, among other teams. MAJ3R was a key figure during the CS:GO era, accumulating many accolades, and is considered a major player in Turkish Counter-Strike. In 2026, MAJ3R led Aurora Gaming to 3/4th at IEM Cologne, a solidly respectable placement.
Notably, MAJ3R had played with the same roster for nearly four years, as Aurora Gaming acquired the main Eternal Fire lineup in 2025. The move occurred shortly after the team benched Fabre, another key roster member. This means the org is reshuffling two player slots in its lineup.
Why is MAJ3R Retiring?
On an X.com post, MAJ3R elaborated on his decision to retire. He wrote that he made the move to spend more time with his family, prioritizing his roles as a husband and father. The message read:
“This wasn’t an easy decision for me, but I’ve decided to take a break from competing and spend more time with my family. Being an IGL has always been an amazing role for me, but being a father and husband is incredibly important to me too, and it’s where I want to focus more in the future.
Throughout the journey I embarked on as part of “Turkish Six,” I gave everything I had to take my team and our people to the top, and I have no regrets. It was a beautiful chapter in our lives. We shared incredible moments, faced tough days, worked hard, and went through so much together.”
Sometimes even the most beautiful stories must come to an end… and make way for a new one. This wasn’t an easy decision for me, but I’ve decided to take a break from competing and spend more time with my family. Being an IGL has always been an amazing role for me, but being a father and husband is incredibly important to me too, and it’s where I want to focus more in the future. Throughout the journey I embarked on as part of “Turkish Six,” I gave everything I had to take my team and our people to the top, and I have no regrets. It was a beautiful chapter in our lives. We shared incredible moments, faced tough days, worked hard, and went through so much together. After this beautiful journey and all these years of competition, I feel like the time has come to devote myself more fully to my children and the people closest to me. But I’ll continue to stay with Aurora, and I have some wonderful surprises to share with you in the coming days. During this journey, we always felt the unwavering support of the 6th player—our fans. And I want to thank all of you for being with us even in the hardest moments. Because of you, we never felt alone, and we always had the strength to keep climbing to the top. Special thanks to all my teammates during this grind of a life phase. Together we faced so much bad and good, but you all always acted with respect and gave your absolute best to reach our common goal—to take TRCS to the top. Thank you all for that. I also want to thank Erenay, Bekir, and Berker. They sometimes had to deal with all our stress, emotions, and little mood swings. They were the unsung heroes of this story, working in the shadows. A special thank you to Aurora as well. It’s truly a remarkable organization. Thanks to Aurora CEO Adalet for doing everything from day one to make us feel at home. And of course, Cenk… the secret hero of this adventure. He was always there for me, always there for us. He tried to solve every problem in the world, motivated us when we needed it, and never left us alone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Don’t worry, I’ll still be around. I love you all.
— MAJ3R (@Maj3r_) July 2, 2026
MAJ3R emphasized his gratitude for his teammates and fans, saying, “During this journey, we always felt the unwavering support of the 6th player—our fans. And I want to thank all of you for being with us even in the hardest moments. Because of you, we never felt alone, and we always had the strength to keep climbing to the top. […] Special thanks to all my teammates during this grind of a life phase. Together we faced so much bad and good, but you all always acted with respect and gave your absolute best to reach our common goal—to take TRCS to the top. Thank you all for that.”
The pro also thanked Aurora Gaming, calling it “truly a remarkable organization. Thanks to Aurora CEO Adalet for doing everything from day one to make us feel at home.”
MAJ3R also had an additional message for his Turkish fanbase: “From the day I came to Istanbul with Space Soldiers in 2017, there has always been the same dream inside me… To elevate Turkish Counter-Strike to the highest level. […] I did more than my best to represent the Turkish flag, Turkish CS, and everyone who supported us in the most beautiful way possible. Sometimes we succeeded, sometimes we didn’t… But my heart was always in the right place. I need time for myself and my family. But I want you to know this: The love and support you gave me on this journey will stay in my heart for the rest of my life. From the depths of my heart, I thank you all for believing in me, for not leaving me alone, and for carrying this dream with me.”
Aurora Gaming Reacts
Aurora Gaming also released a statement to commemorate MAJ3R’s retirement. The team noted his lengthy career, writing, “Over the twenty years he spent in the esports scene, Engin witnessed both the most glorious moments and the toughest periods of this game.” Aurora put the timeline into perspective by saying, “When MAJ3R first suited up for his professional team, the calendar read 2006. Back then, ZywOo was just six years old, and donk hadn’t even been born yet.“
The org called MAJ3R “[not] just a player—he’s a representative of an era, one of the living witnesses to how Counter-Strike, which we follow with such passion today, came to be what it is. Engin has decided to take a break from his professional career to spend more time with his family. Yet he will always be remembered as one of the unforgettable names in professional Counter-Strike history. Thanks for everything, Captain.”
THANKS MAJ3R! SEE YOU SOON. Over the twenty years he spent in the esports scene, Engin witnessed both the most glorious moments and the toughest periods of this game. He watched with his own eyes as tournaments evolved from internet cafes to massive arenas filled with thousands of people, as young stars like XANTARES and woxic emerged, and as players matured over the years into true legends. When MAJ3R first suited up for his professional team, the calendar read 2006. Back then, ZywOo was just six years old, and donk hadn’t even been born yet. What’s the significance of that? Because MAJ3R isn’t just a player—he’s a representative of an era, one of the living witnesses to how Counter-Strike, which we follow with such passion today, came to be what it is. Every journey in life has an end. But one can’t help but wonder… Back in the early 2000s, did Engin ever imagine that those matches he played with friends in Turkey’s internet cafes would one day lead him on this journey that would etch his name into Counter-Strike history? Now, Engin has decided to take a break from his professional career to spend more time with his family. Yet he will always be remembered as one of the unforgettable names in professional Counter-Strike history. Thanks for everything, Captain. Note: Even though MAJ3R is stepping away from his professional career, he will continue to be part of the Aurora Gaming family. We’ll announce his new role very soon.
— Aurora CS2 (@AuroraCS2_GG) July 2, 2026
Is MAJ3R Leaving Aurora Gaming?
While MAJ3R will no longer be participating in the pro circuit as a player, he reassured fans that he isn’t stepping away from the scene entirely. He wrote, “I’ll continue to stay with Aurora, and I have some wonderful surprises to share with you in the coming days.” In addition, at the end of his message, MAJ3R reiterated: “Don’t worry, I’ll still be around. I love you all.”
Aurora Gaming confirmed that MAJ3R will take on a “new role” in the organization. At the end of their retirement message, they wrote: “Even though MAJ3R is stepping away from his professional career, he will continue to be part of the Aurora Gaming family. We’ll announce his new role very soon.”