FISSURE Playground 3 will continue Group A with a match between The MongolZ and MIBR. The teams will meet in the Opening Round in a Bo3 format: the winner will advance to the Upper semi-finals, while the losing team will drop to Lower Round 1. The MongolZ are ranked 14th in the world against MIBR’s 25th place, but the Mongolian roster will play with cobrazera instead of Techno, which adds uncertainty before the opening series.
FISSURE PLAYGROUND 3 GROUP A — FORMAT SPECIFICS
The group stage of FISSURE Playground 3 is played in a Double Elimination Bo3 format. Group A also features 9z, 5star, G2, Astralis, BETBOOM, and BIG. A win in the Opening Round will allow The MongolZ or MIBR to continue the fight in the upper bracket, while the losing team will get a second chance in Lower Round 1.
The tournament takes place in Suzhou and has a $1 million prize pool. After the group stage, the competition will move to the Single Elimination Playoffs, so an opening victory significantly simplifies the path further. The MongolZ approach the series as favorites by ranking, but the roster change and MIBR’s competitive map pool make the match less straightforward.
HEAD-TO-HEAD — FIRST MEETING BETWEEN THE TEAMS
The MongolZ and MIBR have not yet faced each other in the current stretch, so there is no head-to-head match statistics. This will be the first opportunity to directly compare their current rosters in a full Bo3 series.
With no head-to-head history, form and veto become especially important. The MongolZ have a higher ranking and more experience in matches against top opponents, while MIBR can compensate for the difference with more stable numbers on several maps.
CURRENT FORM
The MongolZ — an unstable stretch and a forced replacement
The MongolZ have recently been alternating wins and losses. The team lost to Falcons 0:2, fell to Natus Vincere 1:2 and FaZe 1:2, but between those matches confidently defeated paiN 2:0 and beat magic 13:7. The results show that the team remains competitive, but stability against strong opponents is still lacking.
One of the key players remains 910 with a 1.12 rating over the last three months. He has 0.76 kills per round, 71.1% KAST, and 77.8 ADR. In this series, The MongolZ will also play with cobrazera instead of Techno, so the speed of adaptation of the updated five will become important.
MIBR — strong individual series and insani’s leadership
MIBR also approach the tournament without a stable run of results. The team lost to K27 0:2, Eternal Fire 1:2, and Legacy 0:2, but at the same time defeated EYEBALLERS and 3DMAX with a 2:0 score. This shows the Brazilians’ ability to confidently punish opponents of their own level, although problems arise against stronger opposition.
The best listed individual numbers belong to insani with a 1.20 rating. He records 0.79 kills per round, has 73.9% KAST, a 1.28 multi-kill rating, and 89.4 ADR. Together with nqz, venomzera, LNZ, and tomaszin, he forms a dangerous enough roster to force The MongolZ into a fight on comfortable maps.
MAP POOL & VETO
Statistics over the last 3 months (The MongolZ | MIBR):
- Cache: — | 75%
- Dust2: 80% | —
- Mirage: 50% | 57%
- Inferno: 50% | 67%
- Nuke: 40% | 56%
- Ancient: 25% | 29%
- Anubis: — | —
Expected veto:
- MIBR will logically try to remove Dust2. The MongolZ have an 80% win rate on this map across five matches, while the Brazilian roster practically has not used it in the current stretch. Leaving the favorite its statistically strongest map would be risky.
- The MongolZ, in turn, may remove Cache or Inferno. MIBR have 75% on Cache and 67% on Inferno, while the Mongolian roster does not show the same stability in these directions. Inferno looks especially dangerous, where the Brazilians have a noticeable advantage by win percentage.
Likely maps:
- Mirage looks like one of the most natural options for the series. The MongolZ have a 50% win rate across six matches, while MIBR have 57% across seven maps. The difference is small, so the result here will largely depend on individual form.
- MIBR may also focus on Nuke, where they have 56% against The MongolZ’s 40%. If Dust2 remains available, it will become the obvious answer from the Mongolian team and the best opportunity to compensate for weaker statistical numbers on other maps.
KEY DUELS
- 910 vs insani — a matchup between the teams’ key players, where insani’s advantage in rating and ADR may become one of the main factors of the series.
- bLitz vs nqz — a battle for tempo and opening frags, which is especially important for building the economy across long sequences of rounds.
- cobrazera vs venomzera — one of the most interesting rifle duels, as cobrazera will have to quickly integrate into The MongolZ’s structure in a match against an experienced opponent.
PREDICTION
MIBR have real opportunities to take a map thanks to their advantage on Inferno, Nuke, and Cache. In addition, insani is in good individual form, while the forced replacement of Techno with cobrazera may affect The MongolZ’s communication and stability in the first matches of the tournament.
However, The MongolZ remain stronger in overall level and have more experience against top international opposition. If the team gets Dust2 or a comfortable Mirage and does not allow MIBR to dictate the veto, it should have enough resources to win the series and advance to the Upper semi-finals.
Projected result: The MongolZ 2–1 MIBR
