The origins, growth, and triumphs of the MongolZ

21.03.20243 min read

The MongolZ – Phase 1

The team named The MongolZ was first founded in 2014 in the Dota 2 game category, and at that time, it had become one of the top teams in the domestic Dota 2 scene. Soon after, in 2015, they formed their CS:GO lineup, and their major achievement was winning the IEM Taipei 2016 tournament in 2016 and ranking first in Asia.

By doing so, they earned the right to participate in the MLG Columbus 2016 qualifiers, but after attending the U.S. visa interview three times and receiving a rejection each time, they were unable to compete in that Major qualifier. Interestingly, the team that replaced them, Splyce, successfully passed the qualifier and managed to release stickers. They also participated in the IEM Katowice 2016 tournament but were eliminated after going 0-6 in the group stage.

The achievements of The MongolZ team at that time had a huge impact on Counter-Strike viewers, fans, and aspiring young players, and it was a major step in proving that PC gaming is not just a hobby or addiction, but a form of professional esports.

Since 2016, The MongolZ team had not achieved any major success, and although they qualified for IEM Oakland 2017 from their region, they finished in last place. As the team members continued to change, in 2018 the roster was transferred to the Storm Rider team, and the team disbanded. After that, former members of the team occasionally formed lineups under The MongolZ name in 2019 and 2022, but they could not compete on the same level as domestic teams like Checkmate, D13, and Renewal.

The MongolZ – Phase 2

Starting from 2021, the Checkmate team, which had become quite strong in the domestic CS scene, made a major roster change in early 2022 by adding kabal, nin9, and sk0r to the existing duo of bLitz and Techno4k. After earning the right to participate in the Asian RMR, they were acquired by IHC Esports. Playing under the name IHC Esports, they successfully secured a Major spot through the Asian RMR, making them the first Mongolian team to qualify for a Major.

However, they finished their first Major with a 1-3 record and soon made changes to their roster. Nevertheless, since the Antwerp 2022 Major, the team began regularly participating in major international tournaments, including IEM Rio 2022 Major and Katowice 2023.

Although the roster continued to change during this period, just before the Asian RMR for the BLAST Paris Major 2023, an announcement was made stating that the players had voluntarily left IHC Esports and, with the owner’s permission, would now continue playing under the name The MongolZ.

For players like bLitz and Techno, they participated in three Majors — Antwerp 2022, Rio 2022, and Paris 2023 — but each time exited the tournament with a 1-3 record. However, this time, after updating their roster with three young players — mzinho, 910, and Senzu — they entered their fourth Major, and the three young players did not disappoint in their debut tournament.

They started the Copenhagen 2024 Major with two consecutive losses (0-2), making the tournament start quite difficult, but in the following days, they made a successful comeback, finishing 3-2 and, for the first time, a Mongolian team reached the top 16 of a Major. Not only that, they also secured an additional Major slot for the Asian region. This is undoubtedly one of the most historic achievements in Mongolian Counter-Strike history.

However, their journey is not over. They will continue to fight in the tournament tomorrow as well.

AuthorTemujin Batbayar

Analyst from Ulaanbaatar specializing in CS2. Has competed in MESA tournaments, worked with Esports TV during the ESL Pro League, and reviewed both the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 and IEM Katowice 2024. Author of his own player evaluation metrics and known for accurate predictions. Has interviewed s1mple and ZywOo. In esports since the days of CS 1.3.