Aurora is absent from the main team, xfl0ud makes a temporary appearance.
Aurora’s main player Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş will miss IEM Cologne 2025 due to “family reasons”. The team confirmed on July 10 that Yasin “xfl0ud” Koç will be the substitute.
This event is the first summer campaign for the world’s fifth-strongest team Aurora. The event will be held from July 23 to August 3 at the LANXESS Arena in Cologne, Germany. The total prize money is as high as $1,250,000, of which the individual player share is as high as $1,000,000.
Player comparison: strength assessment and role positioning
| Player | Team | Avg. Rating (Last 6 Months) | Rating (Last 3 Months) | Key Stats |
| XANTARES | Aurora | 1.16 | ~1.17 | KPR ≈ 0.80, DPR ≈ 0.67, Impact ≈ 1.33, ADR ≈ 84.5 |
| xfl0ud | HEROIC (on loan) | ≈1.12 | 1.18 | KPR ≈ 0.67, DPR ≈ 0.66, upward trend in rating and support efficiency |
Analysis points:
XANTARES has been the core output of Aurora in recent years, and has grown evenly in 2025. In the past three months, the average contribution per game has been above the online level, providing stable firepower for the team.
Although xfl0ud is positioned as a secondary DPS/support role, his data is still good, and he performed well in certain events, including IEM Dallas and BLAST.tv Austin Major.
In-depth analysis: data comparison and lineup impact
Cumulative score comparison
XANTARES official HLTV data shows that the score for half a year is 1.16.
xfl0ud’s half-year score in HEROIC is 1.12, and the recent trend is upward, with an increase of 1.18.
Positioning difference
XANTARES has served as the main sniper or core assault many times, and has played a significant influence; xfl0ud is more of a cooperative player, good at field support and rhythm control.
Team synergy and familiarity
xfl0ud was a member of Eternal Fire (predecessor of Aurora’s core system) from 2021 to 2023, and has a close relationship with the players, and has a foundation for communication and cooperation.
Analysis of recent tournament performance
xfl0ud achieved 17/15 and 23/16 performances in the BLAST Austin Major battle against NMG, with high KAST and ADR data playing a temporary first-line role.
This state is crucial for the lineup relay in the absence of the main players.
Journey prediction: How does Aurora respond?
Tactical adjustment
Coach Fabre needs to redistribute firepower points, reasonably allocate economy and invasion rhythm, and reduce the rhythm loss caused by XANTARES’ absence.
xfl0ud uses a predictable auxiliary method and relies more on cooperation. He will be the key to establish a cooperation framework with MAJ3R and woxic.
Style changes
The formation may be mainly based on team battles, focusing on vision control and team advancement. Compared with XANTARES’s high burst, the temporary lineup is more stable and more dependent on the overall rhythm.
Psychological adjustment
IEM Cologne is a big stage of LANXESS Arena, and the pressure is huge. xfl0ud needs to quickly adapt to the rhythm of the game and keep his emotions stable to prevent sudden collapse.
Results outlook
If Aurora can successfully adjust the rhythm and reconstruct the team cooperation, they are still expected to enter the quarterfinals. Otherwise, the explosiveness in the knockout stage may still be damaged.
Conclusion
At this IEM Cologne 2025, the absence of Aurora’s core firepower XANTARES inevitably brings uncertainty, but the addition of xfl0ud provides the possibility of matching historical data support and cooperating with the same system. From the data and experience, he has the ability to adapt to Aurora’s tactical rhythm.
Facing world-class events, the team should maximize the use of xfl0ud’s recent good state and build a stable lineup output framework. Looking ahead, even with the current challenges, this temporary substitution is a chance to test the adaptability of young players and also to give Aurora more firepower reserves for the fall campaign.
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