XANTARES Reaches the Major Semifinals Through Pain

For Ismailcan "XANTARES" Dörtkardeş, this Major has already become a special one.

Before Cologne, the Turkish star had reached the playoffs of a Major only once in his career — at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 with Eternal Fire (now Aurora). That run ended quickly. This time, however, XANTARES didn't just make the playoffs — he carried Aurora all the way to the semifinals.

In the quarterfinal against BetBoom Team, he delivered one of the best performances of his career: 46 kills, only 30 deaths, and a staggering 1.49 rating. When Aurora needed a leader the most, XANTARES stepped up.

"1. XANTARES Reaches the Major Semifinals Through Pain","1.1. A Decade-Long Journey","1.2. One of the Greatest Aimers Ever","1.3. The Curse of Big Tournaments","1.4. Playing Through Pain","1.5. The Best Opportunity of His Career"

A Decade-Long Journey

Today, it's easy to forget how long XANTARES has been chasing success.

His journey at the highest level began more than ten years ago. In the early years of his career, he tried to build a competitive Turkish roster capable of challenging the world's best teams. At the time, Turkey was not considered a major force in Counter-Strike, making the task even more difficult.

In 2019, XANTARES made the bold decision to leave his comfort zone and join BIG. The move offered him an opportunity to prove himself in an international environment, but the project never reached the heights many expected. After several years, he returned to Turkey and once again began building a team around himself.

Despite that decision, offers from elite organizations continued to arrive.

According to the player, teams such as FaZe and Falcons expressed interest in signing him over the years. Yet XANTARES consistently turned those opportunities down.

"I rejected those offers because I have my own team. The large amount of money they offered doesn't matter to me. I don't care about money."

For many fans, that choice seemed surprising. But throughout his career, XANTARES has remained loyal to his teammates and his vision.

One of the Greatest Aimers Ever

Regardless of his trophy cabinet, XANTARES has always enjoyed a legendary reputation.

For years, he has been considered one of the most mechanically gifted players in Counter-Strike. Even at 30 years old, he remains one of the deadliest riflers in the game.

Former BIG coach Aleksandar "Legija" Nakić once described his first impression of the Turkish star:

"When he first arrived at the bootcamp, he immediately sat down at a computer and launched Deathmatch. He wasn't wearing headphones and didn't even take off his jacket. I swear, gob b and I watched him play for two hours because it was unbelievable. I've never seen anyone with that level of aim."

Stories like this have followed XANTARES throughout his entire career. While countless players have changed roles, styles, and approaches to the game, his raw mechanical skill has remained world-class.

The Curse of Big Tournaments

Unfortunately, his results rarely matched his talent.

Throughout his long career, XANTARES has won only one LAN event of note: PGL Bucharest 2025. Even that victory came with an asterisk in the eyes of some fans due to the absence of several elite teams.

As a result, many considered him the most talented Counter-Strike player without a major trophy.

The criticism intensified during BIG's successful 2020 campaign. Because most tournaments were played online during the pandemic, some fans claimed XANTARES was merely an online player.

The last two years have completely changed that narrative.

In both 2024 and 2025, he earned a place in HLTV's Top 20 Players ranking. At the Cologne Major, he has maintained a 1.18 rating against the strongest competition in the world.

At this point, very few people still question his ability to perform on stage in front of thousands of fans.

Playing Through Pain

Results have not been the only challenge in XANTARES' career.

In 2021, he underwent surgery on both hands due to hyperhidrosis, a medical condition that causes excessive sweating. For a professional Counter-Strike player, such a condition can have a significant impact on performance.

The health problems didn't stop there.

In 2025, XANTARES revealed the severity of his physical condition:

"I'm no different from a corpse. I did everything I could, but this was the result. I have serious back problems, I struggle to breathe, and my stomach has been burning constantly for 25 days. It won't go away. I'm taking five pills a day and feel like I'm about to faint all the time."

Then, in 2026, the Turkish veteran disclosed another issue: two cysts in his hand. According to him, he still experiences pain while playing.

For many professional players, these kinds of health problems would be enough to end a career. Yet XANTARES continues to compete at the highest level.

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The Best Opportunity of His Career

Aurora's future after Cologne remains uncertain.

Rumors suggest that the organization could make roster changes and potentially move away from a fully Turkish lineup in favor of an international project.

What happens after the tournament remains unknown.

But right now, none of that matters.

Aurora are in the Major semifinals, and XANTARES is finally just a few matches away from the greatest achievement of his career. After more than a decade of setbacks, criticism, missed opportunities, and physical struggles, he has earned a chance to prove that his name belongs among the legends of Counter-Strike.

And perhaps, this is the best chance he will ever get.