MOUZ confidently passed the group stage of BLAST Open Porto 2026 and immediately secured a place in the semi-final, but Dorian “xertioN” Berman believes the team is still being underestimated. The captain said that the current roster is capable of beating any opponent in the world, and its results already provide enough reason to talk about MOUZ as one of the strongest teams of the season.
MOUZ want more respect
The main topic for xertioN was MOUZ’s place in the current CS2 hierarchy. After winning BLAST at the start of the season, reaching the quarter-final of the Esports World Cup, and guaranteeing a semi-final spot in Porto, in his opinion, the team too quickly dropped out of discussions about the main contenders for the status of the best in the world.
I think people should respect us more. I know that teams respect us on the server — I feel it. Whether the community, fans, or analysts want to give us that respect is not for us to decide. We will simply continue proving that we are one of the best teams in the world.
The results give xertioN reason to be confident
The Israeli himself does not want to place MOUZ in a specific position in the world team ranking, but he is convinced that in their current form they can beat anyone. In his opinion, after the end of Vitality’s period of absolute dominance, the fight at the top has become much more open.
To be honest, some of the names I hear in lists of the best teams seem a bit strange to me. In my opinion, some teams are being placed there when they should not be. We are definitely one of the best teams in the world and are confident enough right now to say that.
The victory over Falcons became an important test
xertioN rated the group stage in Porto very highly. MOUZ confidently got past 9z and Inner Circle, but the main test was the series against Falcons. After an unsuccessful Nuke, the team completely changed the course of the match and looked much better on Ancient and Inferno.
In the match against Falcons, we just wanted to understand where we stand compared to a stronger team. I think on Nuke they played CT very well, but then on Ancient and Inferno we slightly outclassed them. And we are proud that we were able to do that.
xelex and PR are gradually adapting
The captain separately highlighted Adrian “xelex” Vincze and Oldřich “PR” Nový, who became some of MOUZ’s best players in the series against Falcons. For xertioN, their performances are especially important because both are still going through the process of adapting to the team’s system and demands.
They definitely still have room to grow in order to understand the game the same way as the core of the team. But they work every day, and I am very happy when they show matches like this. When you watch their game back, it is simply incredible to see how well these two can perform.
torzsi has found comfort in the team again
Another important factor in MOUZ’s current form has been Ádám “torzsi” Torzsás. According to xertioN, the Hungarian AWPer depends a lot on the atmosphere inside the roster, and his previous slump may have been connected not only to the game, but also to his overall psychological state.
Right now he is enjoying the game much more. We have a great connection with him, and I think he is definitely the best teammate I have ever had. Maybe the fact that I became IGL helped him a little, because I have known him for a long time and understand how to use him as an AWP player.
FURIA or Vitality — it makes no difference for MOUZ
In the semi-final, MOUZ will face the winner of the match between FURIA and Vitality. xertioN did not choose a preferred opponent: he considers both teams to be roughly equal in their current form and is ready to play against either of them.
I would not mind playing both. I think right now they are about equally strong. It does not matter to us who the opponent will be, because to win the tournament, you have to be ready to beat anyone anyway.
MOUZ want to answer with results
xertioN’s words clearly show how much MOUZ’s internal perception has changed after the rebuild. The team is not just trying to return to its previous level — its captain openly talks about claims to a place among the best and believes that the results already confirm these ambitions.
Now the main argument has to be the playoffs of BLAST Open Porto 2026. MOUZ have already secured a semi-final spot, but it is the arena matches that will show whether the team can turn xertioN’s confident words into another big result and make the scene truly treat them with more respect.
