Aurora Gaming Has Benched soulfly

After a string of roster moves and rumored signings, Aurora Gaming just benched core player soulfly. Here’s what we know.

soulfly is Benched From Aurora Gaming

On July 2, 2026, EMEA org Aurora Gaming announced that rifler Caner “soulfly” Kesici is moving to the Counter-Strike team’s bench. The organization made a ‘Thank You’ post on X.com, writing:

“Today, soulfly has been moved to the bench at Aurora Gaming.

We’ve been through a lot together: celebrating victories and facing defeats, but we’ve always kept moving forward. Caner played in his first Major as part of our roster and proved himself to be a strong player every step of the way. We thank him for his hard work and the excitement he brought to the team and our fans.

And now, a new chapter begins for each of us.”

The organization’s announcement follows a massive string of roster shake-ups after IEM Cologne 2026. Aurora scored 3rd-4th in the event, a respectable placement. In this week alone, Aurora Gaming has also benched Fabre and announced IGL MAJ3R’s retirement. The move occurs before the S-tier tournament BLAST Bounty 2026; Aurora Gaming is set to compete in its qualifiers this month.

Why Was soulfly Benched?

Aurora Gaming is likely trying to get in top form for several upcoming tournaments. After BLAST Bounty 2026, the Esports World Cup 2026 looms on the horizon. The event has a massive 2 million USD prize pool, with 600,000 set aside for the winning organization. Aurora Gaming is in the competition, and when that amount of money is on the line, teams have to be ready to perform at their best.

soulfly Responds

soulfly took to his X.com account to offer a parting statement. He wrote: “I’m incredibly grateful for the last 6 months. I’m truly happy to have been part of this journey, and it’s an even greater honor to have been part of a chapter in Turkish CS history. Thank you to my teammates, the staff, and everyone at Aurora for the experience and the memories.“

In addition, soulfly clarified that he was leaving the org on good terms: “I respect the decision and wish everyone at Aurora nothing but the best moving forward.”

Now, soulfly is reportedly open to other propositions. He has “been given permission to explore new opportunities” and is “now LFT and open to offers.”

Aurora Gaming reposted soulfly’s message, boosting its viewership.

w0xic Shows Support

soulfly’s teammate Özgür “woxic” Eker stepped in to offer a word of support after his departure. w0xic told soulfly, “You have tremendous potential.” He also shared gratitude for their friendship, saying, “The brotherly bond we established in such a short time will always continue.”

Is Aurora Gaming Signing Jimpphat and Kyxsan?

After soulfly, MAJ3R, and Fabre have left the main roster, Aurora Gaming now has several open spots. With several major tournaments on the horizon, the org will have to fill its lineup quickly.

Rumors are swirling about who will join the team next. Polymarket Counter-Strike is reporting that Jimpphat, who recently left MOUZ, and Kyxsan may join the team. However, neither party has confirmed this information yet, nor has Aurora posted anything about it.

Stay tuned for more updates and roster news as the Counter-Strike esports world evolves.