Eternal Fire has been making headlines in 2025, not just for their impressive performances but also for their relentless tournament schedule. The Turkish squad is accepting every single LAN invite they receive, raising serious concerns about burnout and fatigue. While it’s great to see them competing on the big stage, the sheer number of events they are participating in is almost mind-boggling.

Let’s break down what they’ve been through so far and why this non-stop grind could be a double-edged sword for the team.

Already exhausted: four LAN events in 2025

In just a few months of 2025, Eternal Fire has already participated in four major LAN tournaments, achieving respectable results at each of them:

• BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 – 2nd Place
• IEM Katowice 2025– 5th-6th Place
• PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 – 5th-8th Place
• ESL Pro League Season 21 – 5th-8th Place

Impressively, they have made the playoffs in every single tournament. However, this success comes at a significant cost. Their in-game leader, Engin "MAJ3R" Küpeli, openly addressed the challenges of such a tight schedule during the HLTV interview at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025:

We are in a good way, but like I said in another interview, it's been like two months since we are away from home. We're just doing tournaments in a row without going home. I spent about two days at home in one and a half months, so it's difficult. We don't practice a lot, we just do hotfixes after officials, and I can't renew my playbook a lot also.

Engin "MAJ3R" Küpeli

While he later clarified that he did not mean the team was homesick, he emphasized that the constant traveling and playing have significantly impacted their ability to properly practice and refine their strategies.

I never said in any interview that we miss home. I emphasized the fact that we have been doing tournaments back to back for 2.5 months now without going home. I am obviously afraid for my players of a possible burnout.

Engin "MAJ3R" Küpeli

An overloaded calendar

Just when you think it couldn’t get any crazier, Eternal Fire has lined up seven more LAN events on their calendar, with little to no breaks between them:

• BLAST Open Spring 2025 (Copenhagen/Lisbon)
• PGL Bucharest 2025
• YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025
• IEM Melbourne 2025
• PGL Astana 2025
• IEM Dallas 2025
• BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 (Likely)

The number of commitments is staggering. They are literally hopping from one tournament to another without even having time to breathe. This kind of schedule is not just exhausting but also highly risky for maintaining consistent performance.

Why such a tight schedule is a bad idea

First of all, accepting every single invite may seem like a good way to gather experience and exposure, but it leaves little room for proper practice or strategy refinement. The team has admitted that they are mostly doing "hotfixes" rather than actual preparation, which means they’re constantly patching up problems rather than fixing them properly.

Secondly, the logistics of some of these events are questionable. For example:

• PGL Astana 2025 ends on May 18, while IEM Dallas 2025 starts on May 19.
• This makes it physically impossible for the team to reach Dallas in time if they make it to the semifinals or finals in Astana.
• Even if they somehow make it, they would miss media day and possibly the opening match, leading to either forfeits or rushed performances.

Risk of Burnout

Competing at the top level requires not just skill but also focus, mental clarity, and team synergy—all of which are heavily impacted by exhaustion.

Other top-tier teams have been much more selective with their schedules:

• NAVI, Spirit, Vitality, G2, Liquid, FaZe, Astralis, and GamerLegion have all skipped some events this season to balance their workload.
• Teams like NAVI, Spirit, and Vitality took a full month off after major events to recover and fix mistakes, giving them a fresh perspective when they returned to the server.

In contrast, Eternal Fire is piling up tournaments without allowing themselves time to breathe. This could potentially lead to burnout, injuries, or a significant drop in performance. The risk of spreading themselves too thin is extremely high.

Why are they doing this?

The answer likely lies in the new Valve ranking system. Teams are incentivized to play as many events as possible to accumulate points and maintain their spot among the best. Missing just one major tournament can mean a significant drop in rankings, and Eternal Fire wants to secure their spot at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025.

However, this grind comes at a cost. The team is already showing signs of fatigue and inconsistent results. While they are still reaching the playoffs, the lack of substantial breaks might hinder their progress in the long run.

What needs to change?

For Eternal Fire to remain competitive without burning out, they must:

1. Be more selective with invites - Prioritize high-profile events and skip smaller ones.
2. Balance travel and practice time - A proper training schedule is crucial for long-term success.
3. Take mental health seriously - Traveling non-stop without breaks will inevitably affect motivation and performance.

Fans and analysts alike are expressing their concerns, and even MAJ3R is worried about his players' well-being. While the ambition to be the best is admirable, pushing too hard might end up being counterproductive.

A path to self-destruction?

Eternal Fire’s strategy to accept every LAN invite might backfire if they continue on this path. The potential for burnout is high, and without adequate breaks, they might lose their edge against more prepared and rested opponents.

Sometimes, less is more. Learning to say “no” to a few events could be the key to keeping the team in peak condition. As passionate as they are, they must realize that longevity in the competitive scene requires balance, not just an endless grind.