At ESL Pro League Season 22 in Copenhagen, two teams on the brink of elimination clashed in a decisive matchup. The MongolZ and Gentle Mates met in a 1–2 elimination series, where the winner would stay alive and the loser would exit the tournament. The Mongolian squad withstood the immense pressure and secured a crucial 2:0 victory (13:8 Inferno, 22:19 Mirage), sending the French side home.
Road to the match
The MongolZ had a shaky start to the season. After an opening loss to HOTU (1:2), the Mongolian side bounced back with strong showings — defeating GamerLegion (2:1) — before falling unexpectedly to Inner Circle (0:2). Sitting at 1–2, they faced elimination and had no room for error.
Gentle Mates, on the other hand, began ESL Pro League brightly. The French roster shocked everyone by defeating Vitality (2:0), but soon fell into a slump: losses against MOUZ (0:2), Aurora (0:2), and finally The MongolZ ended their campaign. For an organization newly emerging on the big CS2 stage, it was a painful but valuable experience.
Inferno — control and composure from The MongolZ
The series began on Inferno, the pick of Gentle Mates, who aimed to dictate the pace with their structured play. However, The MongolZ were completely ready. Their defense was rock-solid, denying early momentum to the French side.
Senzu was exceptional on the B site, consistently winning key duels against dav1g and mopoz. Once switching to the T side, the Mongolian team stayed composed and methodically closed out the map 13:8. Gentle Mates looked disciplined but lacked the individual firepower to turn the tide — even alex, who finished with a neutral 1.19 rating, couldn’t change the outcome.
Mirage — a battle of will that went to overtime
The second map, Mirage, turned into a full-fledged thriller. Gentle Mates started strong, taking an 8:4 lead thanks to better coordination and an excellent performance from sausol as a lurker. Yet The MongolZ refused to break. After the side switch, they responded with five consecutive rounds, swinging the momentum back in their favor.
The final stretch was particularly dramatic — Gentle Mates pushed the game to 15:15, winning several late-round 2v4 situations. But in overtime, The MongolZ kept their cool. The key moment came in round 36 when Senzu clutched 1v2 against MartinezSa and dav1g, followed by Techno sealing the deal with a double entry on the B site. After 41 minutes of play, The MongolZ triumphed 22:19.
Player statistics
Individual performances
- Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold was the undisputed MVP: 56–37 K–D, 83.2 ADR, 1.30 HLTV 3.0 rating. His composed play on Mirage and clutch consistency made the difference.
- Ayush “mz1nho” Batbold and Sodbayar “Techno” Munkhbold also performed at a high level — 1.23 and 1.18 ratings respectively.
- blitz provided the team’s structure and finished with a 1.00 rating, while 910 contributed crucial mid-round kills.
For Gentle Mates, alex (1.19) was the most consistent, playing solidly around mid control. dav1g (1.06) also had his moments, but sausol, mopoz, and MartinezSa struggled to maintain tempo and lost key duels in decisive rounds.
Tournament implications
With this win, The MongolZ improved to a 2–2 record in the Swiss stage, keeping their hopes alive for a spot in Stage 2 of ESL Pro League Season 22. They will once again play under pressure in the decisive final round — but their victory over Gentle Mates proved the team’s resilience and depth against higher-tier opponents.
Gentle Mates, meanwhile, finish their run at 1–3, showing progress in tactical structure but lacking the clutch stability to close maps. For the French organization, this debut on such a major stage is an important step in the development of their roster.
- The MongolZ once again proved to be the most consistent Asian team, capable of thriving even under extreme pressure.
- Senzu solidified his position as the team’s superstar, delivering top-level performances in a do-or-die series.
- Gentle Mates exit the ESL Pro League with heads held high — Mirage will stand out as one of the most entertaining maps in their short campaign.
The Mongolian side continues their fight for survival, and their match against Gentle Mates will be remembered as a showcase of resilience, mental fortitude, and team unity.
