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Jimpphat Joins Aurora After Leaving MOUZ, ash Named Coach

Dimas Ibnu Profile5 min read
Jimpphat Joins Aurora After Leaving MOUZ, ash Named Coach

Aurora have completed the signing of Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo, bringing the Finnish rifler on board for a new challenge after more than four years with MOUZ. The move, confirmed on 4 July 2026, makes Jimpphat the first player in Aurora’s shift towards an international roster and arrives alongside the appointment of Ashley “ash” Battye as head coach.

Jimpphat had been inactive since April, when MOUZ benched him during a shakeup ahead of the IEM Cologne Major, and he formally left the organisation on 2 July. His arrival at Aurora follows a rapid series of departures that has reshaped the Turkish side over the past week.

Jimpphat’s Move From MOUZ To Aurora

Jimpphat got his start in MOUZ NXT in May 2022 before being promoted to the main squad in July 2023, spending over four years across the Hamburg-based organisation’s youth system and senior team. During that time he won a WePlay Academy League trophy in NXT, followed by two ESL Pro Leagues, BB Dacha, and PGL Cluj-Napoca with the main roster.

He was named a Top 20 Player of the Year for the first time in 2024, finishing 17th in the end-of-year ranking, and averaged a 1.10 rating across his time with the MOUZ main squad. His form dipped over the final stretch of his tenure, however, with a 1.04 average across the last 16 months before he was moved to the bench in April, alongside the removal of Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin, as MOUZ failed to reach finals or contend for trophies early in the year.

At Aurora, Jimpphat will look to rediscover the level that earned him that 2024 ranking under the guidance of a new coaching setup.

ash Returns To Coaching After GamerLegion Burnout

Earlier on Friday, Aurora unveiled ash as their new head coach, handing the 35-year-old Brit his first coaching job since he stepped down from GamerLegion in October 2025. The appointment replaces Sezgin “Fabre” Kalaycı, who departed as part of the same rebuild.

ash put himself on the map in 2023 when he led GamerLegion to the final of the BLAST.tv Paris Major, doing so despite modest resources and a lack of big-name players. GamerLegion’s squad was repeatedly picked apart in the years that followed, regularly losing its best pieces to larger teams, yet ash consistently found a way to build a competitive side from the resources available, earning a formidable reputation across five Majors.

He stepped away from GamerLegion late in 2025 due to burnout, stating “I need a break to clear my head and work on myself.” In early 2026 he set out his intentions for a return, telling HLTV in an interview that he wanted to “play with the best players” and “win trophies.”

Aurora’s Off-Season Rebuild

Jimpphat and ash arrive at the end of a week of upheaval that has stripped Aurora back to its Turkish core. The organisation acquired the Eternal Fire roster led by Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli in April 2025, signing him alongside Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın, Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş, and Özgür “woxic” Eker. Caner “soulfly” Kesici joined in December to replace Samet “jottAAA” Köklü.

That line-up brought Turkish CS to new heights, reaching second place at Esports World Cup 2025 and ESL Pro League Season 23, winning PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, and finishing top-four at the IEM Cologne Major. The Bucharest trophy was of particular significance for MAJ3R, ending a long wait for a notable title across CS:GO and CS2. Their run at Cologne ended with a 0-2 exit to FURIA.

The changes began with Fabre’s exit, followed on 2 July by MAJ3R stepping down from the active roster to take a career break. In a statement posted to X, the IGL said the decision to “take a pause in competing” was not easy, adding that “being a dad and a husband is very important to me, and this is where I want to focus more in the future.” Aurora said MAJ3R will remain part of the organisation, with a new role to be announced.

A day later, Aurora benched soulfly, ending a six-month stint in which he averaged a 1.01 rating while filling supportive roles for a side that stayed competitive in the latter stages of tournaments. “I’m incredibly grateful for the last 6 months,” soulfly said in a post on X. “I’m truly happy to have been part of this journey, and it’s an even greater honor to have been part of a chapter in Turkish CS history.”

Aurora’s Current Roster

With Jimpphat and ash confirmed, Aurora’s line-up stands as follows, with the team expected to add further international players to complete the five.

PlayerRole
Ismailcan “XANTARES” DörtkardeşPlayer
Özgür “woxic” EkerPlayer
Ali “Wicadia” Haydar YalçınPlayer
Jimi “Jimpphat” SaloPlayer
Ashley “ash” BattyeCoach

Reports suggest the rebuild is not finished, with former Falcons IGL Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski linked to the side along with at least one more addition, though neither has been confirmed. Aurora’s next moves will determine whether the international pivot delivers on the ambition ash and Jimpphat have arrived to chase.

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