CS2aurora gamingAurora Gaming Says Goodbye to Head Coach Fabre
Head Coach Fabre, famed for leading the Eternal Fire roster, is becoming inactive on Aurora Gaming.
Aurora Gaming is moving head coach Fabre to an inactive position. Image Credits: @AuroraCS2_GG via X.com, Aurora Gaming via Website
Aurora Gaming has been a consistent presence in the Counter-Strike world in 2026, holding its own after significant roster restructures last year. After IEM Cologne’s conclusion, the team has announced that its head coach, Fabre, is moving into an inactive role. What caused the move, and will Fabre return to coaching in the future?
Aurora Gaming Says Goodbye to Fabre
Today, we have to say goodbye to Fabre. A few months ago, Sezgin told us he wanted to move to inactive. As difficult and emotional as that decision was for all of us, we respected his wish. For nearly four years, he was the coach who guided our players and led them forward. Someone who always knew the right words at the right time and kept the team motivated throughout its journey. A true legend who will always have a place in our hearts and in the hearts of fans from Türkiye. Thank you for everything, Fabre 💙
— Aurora CS2 (@AuroraCS2_GG) June 29, 2026
On June 29, 2026, Aurora Gaming announced that its head Counter-Strike coach, Sezgin “Fabre” Kalaycı, would move to an inactive position. In an X.com post, the organization wrote:
“Today, we have to say goodbye to Fabre. A few months ago, Sezgin told us he wanted to move to inactive. As difficult and emotional as that decision was for all of us, we respected his wish. For nearly four years, he was the coach who guided our players and led them forward.”
The move appears very amicable: Aurora Gaming called Fabre “A true legend who will always have a place in our hearts and in the hearts of fans from Türkiye,” saying, “Thank you for everything.” Just an hour after posting, the message has already surpassed 120,000 views and is nearing 6,000 likes.
Fabre’s Impact on Aurora Gaming
Fabre originally joined Aurora’s roster in April 2025 during a major transitional period in the organization. Aurora Gaming benched its entire main string, instead acquiring the full roster of Eternal Fire, a Turkish and Hungarian esports team. The org’s rapid rise attracted international attention, especially as they held their own against veteran teams in international events. Fabre was Eternal Fire’s head coach during this arc, so he joined Aurora Gaming alongside well-known players XANTARES, MAJ3R, Wicadia, woxic, and soulfly.
The Aurora Gaming contract was not without controversy. Eternal Fire allegedly faced some sponsorship and political issues that necessitated the transfer. However, they had performed well amidst the trials, earning 1st place at the CCT Season 1 Global Finals in May 2024.
During his time as Head Coach, Fabre led Aurora Gaming to 3rd place in PGL Astana 2025, 2nd place at the Esports World Cup, 2nd place at ESL Pro League Season 23, and 3rd-4th place at IEM Cologne 2026. The team also placed notably at IEM Krakow 2026 and PGL Astana 2026.
Many Eternal Fire and Aurora Gaming fans credit Fabre for the roster’s meteoric rise. In particular, he was instrumental in streamlining their pistol rounds and elevating them to stand head-to-head against Tier 1 teams.
Why is Fabre Leaving Aurora Gaming?
To all my fellow player brothers and sisters with whom I’ve walked this journey together, to our invisible heroes behind the scenes—especially Cenk, and Erenay, Bekir, Berker, and even though we worked together for a very short time, I felt the benefit deeply from Ms. Seren—to our Club CEO Mr. Adalet, and to you, our dear fans, thank you so very much 🙏 If I’ve forgotten anyone’s name, please forgive me. Don’t be sad that it’s over, be happy that it happened.. 🇹🇷 A SHORT BREAK 🙋♂️
— Fabre (@Fabr1O) June 29, 2026
Fabre replied to Aurora Gaming’s message with an X.com post, saying, “Don’t be sad that it’s over, be happy that it happened.” The message included a quick video. In the clip, he explained his reasons for leaving: “Around 3 months ago, when [ESL Pro League] had just started, I told my teammates that I wanted to take a break.” Fabre discussed these feelings with the roster, but because Aurora Gaming had qualified for a Major and several important events were coming up, he ultimately decided to wait.
“It had been clear for a very long time that I was going to leave the team,” Fabre said. “My teammates knew it, the organization knew it.”
He explained that the workload had become overwhelming, and he wanted to ‘take a break’ after over 3 years of non-stop tournaments: “The reason for my decision to take a break actually has many reasons, but in summary, it’s to gather some energy. To get some rest. Because more than 3.5 years […] has been CS.” Fabre also has “some minor health issues… nothing serious,” but reiterates that taking a break for a few months will help him recover.
“My teammates and I, my staff and I, shared many memories,” Fabre says. “For that, I thank all of them very much. Thank you very much to you, our dear fans. You were always by our side. Sometimes you beat us up, sometimes you loved us, but we always felt your support.”
Will Fabre Return to Aurora Gaming?
Fabre confirmed that he “has no intention of leaving this job,” and plans to return to coaching sometime in the future. He plans to use the time off to focus on his personal life and relax. In addition, Fabre shared some news with the community: he is getting married in 10 days, and is very busy with preparations.
Fabre closed off his statement by saying, “I’m taking a break for a while. After that, we’ll all see what happens.”