Ash: Aurora's win over G2 masks rising internal pressure before Major

Aurora survived an early exit threat at IEM Beijing, beating G2 Esports and sending them out of the tournament in last place for the second event running, a day after Aurora themselves were beaten comfortably by Liquid. In comments to HLTV after the win, Ashley "ash" Battye framed the result as a brief reprieve rather than a turning point, with pressure continuing to build inside the roster ahead of the Major.

"I think the expectations for the team have risen too quickly on the internal side, and that means there's a lot more frustration," Battye said, pointing to a run of games in which Aurora has drifted from the habits that had made them effective, with Anubis cited as a map that had previously been a strength suddenly turning into a weakness.

A packed travel schedule has left Aurora without time to rehearse maps or review footage between matches, a problem Battye linked to the dip in form. Aurora had not played Nuke in an official fixture since its previous appearance in competition before facing it again at this event, leaving the side exposed to opponents able to scout and punish their less sharp picks.

Aurora currently sit inside the top four of the VRS rankings, which Battye cited as evidence the squad is still performing well across the circuit while adjusting to life without a settled practice block. The team has flown across seven time zones between fixtures without returning home, a run Battye called "a lot" while adding that he remains proud of how his players are competing.

The win over G2 stayed tense throughout, including a round in which Aurora conceded a 2v5, offset by a four-kill rifle round from Wicadia that helped swing the map. Battye said the group is prone to streaks, winning or losing clusters of close rounds together, something he put down to being "a bit too momentum-based at times."

Aurora's tournament began with a defeat to MOUZ, which Battye described as a continuation of the drop-off from the side's previous event. He contrasted Aurora's situation with FURIA's, a roster he said has had the time together to settle its fundamentals in a way Aurora, still finding its identity under a demanding calendar, has not.

Battye said the group needs to stay "a little bit more grounded" about where it currently stands rather than targeting outright tournament wins while unable to review recordings or rehearse maps between matches. He added that the Major is "around the corner", when the roster expects to finally get a block of practice time before pressure resumes.