"We want to show the power of esports" - Eternal Fire's watch parties will get bigger and bigger

The Turkish organization is building a strong bond with its fans by holding a series of watch parties in the country during the Major.

You've probably seen the videos if you've paid attention to social media during the Copenhagen Major. Over 2,000 Eternal Fire fans erupt at a watch party at the Grand Pera center in Istanbul after the Turkish team beat Vitality on the opening day of the Elimination Stage. Many are wearing Eternal Fire's jerseys, chanting and waving flags, and there are banners tied to the balconies of this stylish venue.

Events like this are not unusual in Turkish esports, where organizations like FUT Esports and BBL Esports often challenge one another to see who can attract the bigger and louder audience to a watch party. But Eternal Fire's historical run to the Major playoffs has become a source of national pride in Turkey, eliciting the same kind of excitement that one would normally associate with traditional sports.

"There were years in football when we'd go out on the streets and do this sort of chants," Eternal Fire CEO and founder Furkan Güven told HLTV. "In esports, it's not as big, but it's similar. And I am sure that, one day, esports will surpass football."

For Friday's quarter-final clash against Natus Vincere, Eternal Fire will hold watch parties in three different cities (Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir) for a combined 4,000 fans. Initially, the organization hoped to find a venue in Istanbul to accommodate as many as 7,000 people, but polling stations will be set up in many large halls across the country for the upcoming local elections, forcing Güven to settle for smaller-scale events—at least for now.

"The level of support gets bigger every day," he said. "And I have to find new places for the watch parties. I love the fans. I will always do my best.

"Every tournament, our watch parties grow. We have a strong fan community in Turkey. I want to bring this to the forefront and show everyone the power of esports."

Güven co-founded Eternal Fire in the summer of 2021 with the goal of returning Turkish Counter-Strike to the top. And while they have already surpassed Space Soldiers as the most successful Turkish CS team of all time, their path has been filled with twists and turns and rosters swaps, with players being removed and then brought back in. "We couldn't reach our potential because we were emotional," he explained.

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The turning point for the team was when Sezgin "⁠Fabre⁠" Kalaycı and Cenk "⁠Sunvita⁠" Sevinç were added to the backroom staff as head coach and manager, respectively, at the end of 2022. Engin "⁠MAJ3R⁠" Küpeli and Özgür "⁠woxic⁠" Eker returned to the squad, and in April 2023, Eternal Fire struck gold when they promoted academy player Ali "⁠Wicadia⁠" Haydar Yalçın, who is described by MAJ3R as a "second XANTARES" for his playmaking ability.

Eternal Fire's steady upward progress in the last six months has restored the Turkish community's faith in domestic Counter-Strike after a few rough years following the public collapse of Space Soldiers. That void would be filled by Valorant: Mehmet 'cNed' İpek rose to the top of the scene and became a world champion in 2021, with Istanbul hosting the game's biggest event the following year.

For a while, it seemed as if the Turkish gaming community had pivoted to Valorant and forgotten about Counter-Strike. But Eternal Fire's recent success could could provide the spark that changes that narrative.

"It creates a serious excitement," Güven said of his team's Major run. "Because the viewing pleasure of CS is far above that of other games. When you watch it, you want to play it.

"The most important thing is that a high budget Counter-Strike league needs to be established in Turkey. I am working towards this, and if it happens, FUT, SUP and other valuable clubs will invest in CS and we will be able to discover many new talented players. Everything ends but it is impossible for CS to end in Turkey."

Turkish fans are often lauded for their passion and intensity, yet the country has been left out of the Counter-Strike roadshow in recent years after hosting a BLAST Pro Series event in Istanbul in 2018 and a StarSeries & i-League tournament in Belek in 2019.

Güven has no doubt that an event in Turkey in 2024 would be something to remember. "I am sure they would see a crowd like they've never seen before," he said. "Our government would be extremely supportive in this regard."

Eternal Fire are bustling with activity, trying to capitalize on the wave of attention that the team is enjoying. The influx of money from the sale of stickers and the exposure from the Major run will certainly accelerate the company's development: There are plans to build an esports complex, with an office, a store and social areas, as well as to expand into other games.

The Turkish team has been placed on what can be considered the easier side of the Major bracket, avoiding Spirit, FaZe, Vitality and Cloud9 until the final. That lends weight to woxic's belief that the team can go all the way in Copenhagen.

Date	Matches
PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024
29/03/2024	Eternal Fire 17:00 Natus Vincere	Match

"Why not?" Güven said about the possibility of his team winning the Major. "We've come this far. And we didn't get here by chance. We've got here by beating the best teams. Now it's time to crown it. I have full confidence in them."

Güven will have less than 24 hours to prepare for further watch parties if the team makes it past Natus Vincere in the quarter-finals. Not that he is complaining. Win or lose, Eternal Fire's watch parties are here to stay. And each time, they will get bigger and louder.