The MongolZ’s incredible run at the top of Counter-Strike 2 has come to a sudden halt. The Mongolian powerhouse, recently ranked world number one, were eliminated from ESL Pro League Season 22 after falling 2-0 to Natus Vincere (NAVI) in their final Stage 2 match in Sweden.
The MongolZ fall as NAVI lock in 2:0 💪 pic.twitter.com/obB6hxEDPR
— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) October 8, 2025
It’s a surprising exit for a team that’s spent months at the peak of international CS2, claiming major results like the Esports World Cup victory and back-to-back grand finals at FISSURE Playground 2 and BLAST Bounty Season 2. But this time, The MongolZ looked out of sync, and even their players admitted why.
“We need more practice”
After weeks of travelling and back-to-back tournaments, the team took a short break at home before Pro League, and it seems to have cost them. Ayush “mzinho” Batbold revealed they spent the week with family to recover from a grueling travel schedule. But when the action resumed, rust was clear to see.
NAVI dominated the opener on Nuke 13-3, with Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov posting a monstrous 15-5 half. The MongolZ responded well on Ancient, racing to a 6-1 lead, but couldn’t maintain the momentum as the Ukrainian side clawed back nine straight rounds. Despite forcing overtime thanks to an incredible 2v5 clutch capped off by Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold, NAVI closed it out 16-12 to seal the 2-0 sweep.
Post-match, Sodbayar “Techno” Munkhbold was honest in his interview with Freya Spiers: “We need to do more practice.”
NAVI find their footing again
For NAVI, this result was a statement. After suffering stumbles against Falcons and 3DMAX earlier in the season, Aleksib’s squad looked confident and composed throughout the series.
“Nuke was so easy,” said w0nderful on the post-game couch. “I don’t think I’ve ever done so much stuff with the AWP, it was so easy. I could do whatever I wanted.”
Mihai “iM” Ivan led the server with a dominant +18 K/D differential, while the rest of the lineup followed close behind, putting together one of their cleanest performances in months. “This run shows exactly where we are,” captain Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen added. “We’ve made playoffs, now it’s only up to us how far we can go.”
What’s next for The MongolZ
While their early exit from Pro League is disappointing, The MongolZ’s achievements over the past few months remain impressive. They sit atop the October Valve Regional Standings (VRS) and have firmly established themselves as Asia’s strongest CS2 roster.
Their next chance to bounce back comes soon at the Thunderpick World Championship in Malta from October 15 to 19. The event features eight teams fighting for a $340,000 prize pool and serves as one of the last Tier 1 tournaments before the StarLadder Budapest Major in November.
Joining them will be NAVI, FURIA, and Aurora Gaming, setting the stage for another high-stakes clash between the Mongolian giants and some of the world’s best.
Despite their stumble in Sweden, few doubt The MongolZ’s potential to recover. As one fan joked on HLTV, “Maybe practice then.” For bLitz and co., that’s exactly what comes next.