The MongolZ are setting aside stage jitters to perform at IEM Melbourne 2025

It has been a tough year for The MongolZ. Arguably the best Asian Counter-Strike lineup ever, the team made history by reaching the Semi-Finals of IEM Katowice 2025 to kick off the year. Since then, though, it has been a mixed bag of results, with relatively early exits at events like PGL Cluj-Napoca, BLAST Open Spring, and PGL Bucharest. Although many came into 2025 expecting The MongolZ to kick on and finally start challenging for Tier 1 trophies, the reality has been quite different.

At IEM Melbourne 2025, the pendulum has swung the other way once more. The MongolZ are in absolutely fine form. Not perfect, but good enough to get fans dreaming of trophies once again.

Stage jitters disappear as The MongolZ kick off IEM Melbourne Playoffs

The narrative surrounding The MongolZ has always been on their tendency to disappear in stage matches. Nerves always seemed to override any potential advantage they had over their opponents, leading to rough results whenever it came to Playoffs. If there were any nerves in Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena as they took down a thriving Liquid side, I certainly couldn’t tell.

A comfortable map one loss was certainly cause for concern, but The MongolZ swiftly answered back with a dominant map two. With Liquid’s recent benching of Aussie jks, the Melbourne crowd was on The MongolZ’s side, which perhaps helped calm any nerves they might’ve had. Regardless, it took a lot of poise to complete the reverse sweep, securing a top-four finish at IEM Melbourne 2025.

mzinho and 910 form is at the center of The MongolZ’s resurgence

The MongolZ have never been a team that relies on the form of one individual to get their wins. However, there’s no doubt that the immense form of mzinho and 910 throughout IEM Melbourne 2025 has been at the center of their Semi-Final run so far. Throughout the Group Stage, it was mzinho putting up the huge numbers to get them over the line. He enjoyed a quieter Quarter-Final against Team Liquid, but that’s okay.

He was able to do so thanks to the dominant 910, the AWPer making things very uncomfortable for Liquid at every turn. It was nothing too flashy, but you know that feeling when you play against an AWPer who just doesn’t miss? Yeah, it was like that. A 1.83 rating for 910 in the map three decider made the outcome of this one inevitable, the kind of form we just haven’t seen from him over the last few months. If this run can be a springboard for The MongolZ to continue to gather their form, then we’re in for an exciting period for the team.

Team Vitality await The MongolZ

Of course, The MongolZ aren’t quite done at IEM Melbourne 2025 yet. A Semi-Final now awaits against a Team Vitality team desperately wanting to close out that ESL Grand Slam. While I’ve been more impressed with The MongolZ here than throughout the rest of the year, I reckon a win against this dominant Vitality roster is too much to ask at this point. Regardless, even if they’re defeated by Vitality, it wouldn’t represent any grand failure or stage jitters for The MongolZ.