Woxic: I ‘forgot the feeling’ of speaking English

Aurora AWPer Özgür “woxic” Eker recalled forgetting how to speak English after the team shifted to a mixed-nationality roster. The squad adapted to English communication in about one and a half months and clinched a playoff spot at the Esports World Cup after an opening loss to BIG followed by wins over M80 and JiJieHao.

Woxic described the change as abrupt after five or six years of using Turkish in matches and practice. “Sometimes my brain wants to give the Turkish information for that place, and I’m just saying, ‘No, it’s not the right one. I need to say the English one,'” he recalled. He added the first weeks were difficult but that players now communicate clearly in English during practice and matches.

On the server, Woxic said the new lineup has improved his confidence. He described a shared mindset with in-game leader Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski and coach Ashley “ash” Battye, and noted kyxsan’s experience with top AWPers has led to giving Woxic room to create space for the team.

He pointed to short, in-round vocal prompts as helpful support. “At the start of a round, if I’m silent for like two, three seconds and not saying anything, he just says, ‘Bro, you can do this… He is jumping bad in B on Mirage. Go pick it,'” Woxic said, adding those prompts help him commit to plays.

Woxic addressed criticism from parts of the Turkish fanbase after the roster became international. He said fans had viewed the original group as “real life brothers,” and that the change upset longtime supporters. For about a year he stopped reading comments and turned off X notifications.

He also referenced the team’s earlier rebrand from Eternal Fire to Aurora as another moment that drew fan backlash. Woxic said results will shift perceptions: “If you, for example, play a final and win it, everything will be different.”

Woxic noted core Turkish players İsmail “XANTARES” Can and Wicadia remain on the roster. He said the team will continue preparing and treating matches professionally while aiming for better results.