MOUZ suffer shock elimination at BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 vs. 9z

MOUZ have suffered a shock elimination from BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 after being thoroughly outplayed by 9z in the lower bracket of the Group Stage. A series that arguably should have finished 2:0 in favor of 9z went all the way, but it was the South American team that had the mental stamina to stay in the game long enough to secure the win.

9z see out reverse-sweep in impressive series

It has been some time since we last saw 9z at a Tier 1 event, and they wanted to make the most of their chance. They were dealt the most unfortunate of draws – a clash with Vitality on the first day, only to be matched with MOUZ when faced with elimination. Regardless, 9z showed their quality from the off, putting up an impressive Dust2 CT side that saw them just fall short on map one. They were one torzsi 1v3 away from taking this one to overtime at a minimum, and you had the feeling they arguably should have won Dust2 on the balance of things.

After that 13:11 loss, many expected MOUZ to see this one out as a routine 2:0 win that almost got out of hand. But 9z were not about to lay flat and go down without fighting. A pretty even Inferno map two flipped on its head as 9z reached the T side, with luchov putting up an absurd 2.31-rated half at +20.26% round swing. He was the winning piece for the South American team as their momentum gathered on the way to a 13:8 win. Whatever happened from that point onward, 9z had done themselves proud, while MOUZ had already made a bit of a mess of things.

The Nuke decider threatened to be total dominance from 9z. A 9:3 first half put them in pole position to see out the series and complete the upset. MOUZ did somewhat rally, but the damage was already done, their cosmetic comeback not nearly enough to overcome the mountain of rounds in front of them. There was no huge standout individual performance from 9z, and the overall team effort allowed them to secure a 13:9 win.

MOUZ hit new low as roster loses steam

Results for MOUZ have taken a downward turn of late, and it feels as though the repeated close calls have really started to take a toll on the team. Being Counter-Strike’s “nearly men” has to become too frustrating to bear at some point, and this particular result feels like a new low for the team.

Incredibly, this is their first missed Playoffs since IEM Katowice 2025, which they played with xelex. It’s their first missed since Spinx was added to the lineup. Spectacular consistency, you have to give them that. But the flipside of the coin is that they’re getting worse, not better. Further from their goals, certainly not closer.

It’s hard to see belief from the players, not just in each other, but in the project. The logistics of a roster change before the Cologne Major may prove too much, but it’s impossible to truly think that this five will still be playing together once that is out of the way.

MOUZ may hold a united front and say that they still believe in each other. But with each passing match, that sentiment is becoming more and more difficult to believe.