MAJ3R on soulfly: “I hope this Major goes very well for him”
Aurora Gaming captain Enjin “MAJ3R” Kupeli spoke in an interview at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 about the team’s preparations for the tournament, assessed Kaner “soulfly” Kesichi’s debut at the Major, and shared his thoughts on Monte.
On the last month before the Major
We trained a bit at home, then held a five-day boot camp in Frankfurt, and then came straight from there to Cologne.
On preparing for the tournament
Overall, we worked on everything—the mental aspect, tactics, and individual play. We need to be a strong team, and that happens when every player individually performs at a high level. So we tried to do everything we could. Today is the day we have to show it, and I hope we can demonstrate some good Counter-Strike.
On soulfly
He’s calm. He doesn’t really show his emotions, but we talk a lot—me, him, and the coach. I hope this Major goes very well for him and that he can achieve an excellent result.
On Monte
They’re a good team with quality players. They likely have a solid organizational structure behind them as well: a good coach, a good analyst, and support staff. They’re a dangerous team, and if they’ve made it to the third stage, it means they’ve earned it.
In the first round of the third stage of the IEM Cologne Major 2026, Aurora Gaming easily defeated Monte with a score of 2-0. Engin “MAJ3R” Kupeli’s team will next face Team Spirit—the match will be played in the 1-0 bracket.
