From the rise of Space Soldiers, the emergence of Eternal Fire, and the indisputable skill of today’s Aurora, the Turkish Counter-Strike scene has produced some truly incredible players over the course of the franchise’s history. Whilst the scene has never had the depth of countries like Denmark or Sweden, it has managed to put out some truly unforgettable players: game-defining mechanical monsters, flashy AWPers, and battle-hardened in-game leaders. We have taken a look at a few different nationalities with CS running through their veins throughout this series. In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the greatest Turkish CS players of all time, in no particular order.
XANTARES
No conversation about Turkish Counter-Strike – or, indeed, about Counter-Strike as a whole – can start without mentioning Ismailcan ‘XANTARES’ Dörtkardeş. For over a decade, he has been the face of the Turkish scene. The man with the most legendary peek in the game has been the bane of his opponents’ lives for many years now and does not show any signs of stopping.
First making a name for himself in the professional scene with Space Soldiers from 2014 to late 2018, XANTARES was making waves with his signature aggressive, wide-swinging style and brutal, instantaneous aim. He was one-tapping Tier 1 players and forcing bigger names in the scene to take the Turkish team seriously. It was clear from the very start that he was destined to be Turkey’s chosen one, and his continued mechanical dominance throughout his career has proven this assumption to be accurate.
In 2019, he made the leap to BIG, where his game matured somewhat. Under a more structured system, and the tutelage of Johannes “tabseN” Wodarz, XANTARES traded some of his freewheeling aggression for a slightly more tactical approach to the game. The manner in which he was able to hone his skillset at BIG was a significant factor in their World No.1 ranking during the online era.
For practically his entire career, XANTARES has consistently been the most impactful player on his team, with his constant rifling prowess netting him impact, clutches, and round wins. Whether you look at his time on Space Soldiers, BIG, Eternal Fire, or now Aurora, it is clear to see that Ismailcan ‘XANTARES’ Dörtkardeş has more than earned his spot as the greatest Turkish Counter-Strike player of all time.
woxic
Özgür ‘woxic’ Eker is the king of Turkish AWPing. His signature fiery, fearless, and fast style can absolutely decimate the opposing team and utterly dominate a game. Known for his lightning-fast flicks, aggression, and reaction speeds, woxic has been a mainstay in the Turkish Counter-Strike scene for years.
The Turkish AWPer began making a name for himself on HellRaisers, wherein his hyperactive AWPing style and ability to clutch up against stacked odds began to turn heads, but it was his stint on mousesports that really elevated him into the elite. Playing on a mousesports roster containing Robin “ropz” Kool, David “frozen” Čerňanský, Chris “chrisJ” de Jong, and Finn “karrigan” Andersen, woxic helped to build one of the most entertaining and dangerous rosters in CS:GO. Making deep runs and winning multiple events, Özgür ‘woxic’ Eker showed that he had the capacity to really dominate in the top level of the professional scene.
Sharp, unpredictable, and breathtaking when he’s truly online, woxic has shown time and time again that he truly is Turkey’s AWPer.
Calyx
Buğra ‘Calyx’ Arkın is one of those players you simply love to have on your team. Whilst his career has been defined by fewer flashy moments than our previous two entries, Calyx has been a consistent rock for every team he’s been a part of. Known for being a fundamental, dependable player in tough situations, Calyx has been one of the most underrated forces in Turkish Counter-Strike for a long time.
Much like XANTARES, Calyx initially made his name on the Space Soldiers roster, playing alongside the wide-swinging demon and the next entry on this list. Whilst others may have been known for their flashy moments and clippable plays, Calyx did the dirty work for the team, trading efficiently, anchoring sights, and positioning himself perfectly to be impactful in difficult situations. He didn’t necessarily pop off and win rounds single-handedly all too often, but he rarely lost them, either.
After the Space Soldiers went their separate ways, Calyx remained a mainstay of the scene. He had stints with Team Envy and international mixes before reuniting with his countrymen in Eternal Fire. Throughout his career, Buğra ‘Calyx’ Arkın has been a consistently solid, dependable, and intelligent Counter-Strike player, and the spine of much of Turkish Counter-Strike’s success.
MAJ3R
Engin ‘MAJ3R’ Küpeli has been the brains behind Turkish Counter-Strike for well over a decade. There is a strong argument to be made that Turkish CS would be nowhere near its current stature without the enduring influence of the greatest Turkish IGL to touch the game. In 2016, MAJ3R joined the legendary Space Soldiers lineup as a leader with a clear vision of how he wanted the game to be played. It was MAJ3R who took a team full of raw Turkish talent and imposed structure, discipline, and a shared vision of how to find success. Under his leadership, Space Soldiers made multiple deep runs in tournaments, including victories at DreamHack Open Austin 2018, Global Offensive Champions League Season 3, ESEA MDL Season 25 Europe, and more.
MAJ3R wasn’t the star of the show, top fragging and dominating mechanically. He was the one shaping the game, calling the strats, and moulding a generation of Turkish talent into the incredible Counter-Strike demons we know and love today. Nowadays, MAJ3R is leading Aurora with his signature calling style and structure, and has honed the team into a force to be reckoned with, regularly taking down the best teams in the world and making consistent deep runs in Tier 1 tournaments. His impact on Turkish CS simply cannot be overstated.
One common theme these players share besides being Turkish is their dedication to their craft. Thousands of hours of practice helped them develop into the players they are today. While there was nothing more than deathmatch servers and workshop maps when these legends started playing, practicing CS has evolved, and with the help of Refrag, you can take your game to the next level. Refrag is a cutting-edge training platform for CS2 that not only gives you the tools you need to improve, but helps you zone in on the weaknesses in your game.
