The MongolZ made history as the first Asian team to reach the Major playoffs, defeating Heroic at the Shanghai Major.

The MongolZ made history as the first Asian team to enter the knockout round at the Counter-Strike Major. Garidmagnai "bLitz" Byambasuren's team defeated Heroic in a dramatic three-map series to win the Shanghai Major playoffs. The MongolZ's victory over Heroic also marked the third time (second roster) that a team from the APAC region qualified for the playoffs after Renegades in 2019.

The MongolZ's incredible journey at the Shanghai Major

So far, The MongolZ has been almost perfect at the Shanghai Major. Starting from the opening stages, the team easily defeated Rare Atom, MIBR and GamerLegion to secure a spot in the top 16. And above all, the players were excellent. The team topped nearly every statistical table throughout the opening period. With their incredible form, they seem ready to make it to the playoffs. But The MongolZ has no plans to be sneaky. They came, they saw, they conquered.

Their first match against G2 could just be a case of Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski's team being slow from the starting line. But the match against MOUZ showed the Asian team's perseverance. After a 7-5 effort on their T side, TheMongolZ disappeared under MOUZ's onslaught. Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek's players won 7 consecutive rounds to claim match point. But IGL Garidmagnai "bLitz" Byambasuren turned the tide in consecutive rounds to send the match into extra time. That's where the more experienced European team collapsed completely, handing MongolZ a 2-0 scoreline.

Photo via Perfect World

Their last match in Switzerland was similar. For both The MongolZ and Heroic, a 3-0 score would be the best chance to make the playoffs. And Abdulkhalik "degster" Gasanov has lost none of that seriousness. Heroic AWPer rediscovered his 2022 form, showing his best performance in the red shirt. That 25-kill match completely took Mirage away from The MongolZ, but once again they came back. Switching to Anubis, the team built up a bank of rounds early and held strong in Overtime.

Just like the MOUZ match, once the Asian team went into extra time, there was no looking back. Even when the two teams switched to Ancient, The MongolZ maintained their advantage over Heroic, quickly winning 13-6, securing their place in the playoffs at the Shanghai Major.

A story two years in the making

This run to the playoffs is not a sudden miracle like what has happened in the past. Instead, the rise of The MongolZ has been a developing story over the past two years. From a surprise specialist at the start of 2023, the team has developed into a top team with a solid foundation. Along the way, bLitz and Techno4k replaced every star from Katowice '23, finding talent that could be shaped in The MongolZ's way.

When Tengis "sk0R" Batjargal and Tuvshintugs 'Annihilation' Nyamdorj were replaced, many predicted MongolZ's demise. But the 910 and Senzu proved everyone wrong. YaLLa Compass is where the real MongolZ finally emerged, defeating teams like Astralis, Heroic, NIP, and more. on their way to winning their first LAN title. Then came great results at ESL events, notably their win over Spirit at IEM Cologne.

Image: ESL

Entering the Major, The MongolZ has reached its best form. Since losing to ENCE at Elisa Masters Espoo, the team has been unstoppable. 13 series in a row, the team has won and now they are headed to CS's biggest stage.

How far can The MongolZ go at the Shanghai Major?

The playoffs are now secured and in addition to Vitality, MongolZ will enter as the number 1 seed. While the rest of the bracket is still going on, the team will prepare for the most important series in their career. They have shown that they can beat G2, Heroic or MOUZ. Other teams like Liquid can still be beaten outright. If The MongolZ can control their nerves, this major tournament is a golden opportunity to go deep and raise the Mongolian flag high in Shanghai.