The MongolZ ascend to win Counter-Strike 2 Esports World Cup 2025 as Techno shines

Third time’s the charm for The MongolZ. After bittersweet endings at the BLAST Austin Major and BLAST Bounty Fall, Asia’s best-ever Counter-Strike team have ascended to win the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh.

It is the best moment in their history in the game. A moment they’ve waited and worked years for. A culmination of the Mongolian Counter-Strike heritage, perhaps best epitomized by maaRaa, who stands proudly behind The MongolZ as a coach after years as a player.

This 3:0 victory over Aurora tastes sweeter than any victory before it. YaLLa Compass and Thunderpick World Championship winners last year, sure, but this CS2 Esports World Cup 2025 win goes down as the greatest moment in Asian Counter-Strike history by some margin.

Techno stars as The MongolZ roar to victory at the Esports World Cup 2025

The MongolZ didn’t want to wake up tomorrow lamenting another “what if” situation. A team can only take so many runners-up spots before it begins to take a toll. Described as stage chokers by so many for so long, this was the moment for this team to ascend to a new level.

And ascend they certainly did. Map one of Mirage was an Overtime struggle, but the resilience of The MongolZ shone through as a Techno 25-kill showing delivered them the win on their first map choice. But the CS2 EWC Final is a BO5, so the job was far from finished. Aurora didn’t simply roll over on Dust2, either, putting up an admirable 13:9. Again, though, it was The MongolZ who edged it out, leaving Aurora to regret the little details that could’ve swung things their way.

Things felt instantly different on Nuke. Everything clicked for The MongolZ, and the light faded from Aurora. Those close map losses had taken their toll, and by the time The MongolZ attained a 9:3 lead at the half, it was clear who would be winning the Counter-Strike 2 Esports World Cup 2025. With Aurora seemingly committed to throwing away man advantage after man advantage, The MongolZ just had to tap it in towards the end, which they did. The MongolZ, champions at last. For a while now, their eventual trophy has felt inevitable. Now, The MongolZ are undeniable.

Aurora settle for second place – again

The last time we saw this Aurora in a Grand Final, they were playing under the Eternal Fire banner. That was at BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 at the start of the year, where they fell short to Spirit. Last year, Aurora (then EF) tasted Final defeat at the hands of NAVI at ESL Pro League S20, albeit with Calyx in the lineup instead of jottAAA. Now, at the CS2 Esports World Cup 2025, they’re going through those same emotions all over again.

The tragedy is that this was no grand collapse from Aurora. At least for the first two maps, this was a thoroughly competitive affair, defined only by the finest of margins. Those moments of magic and madness that can swing rounds on both sides had left Aurora two maps down, and with a real mountain to climb. By map three, it’s fair to say the wind was taken out of their sails. There’s a reason BO5 reverse sweeps simply do not happen.

In this case, it has left Aurora to lick their wounds once more. Though it’s worth remembering, this is undoubtedly their best result of the year. It’s been a rough period for the team, so to actually be in a Grand Final again (and for the first time under the Aurora banner) is a solid result, no matter how you swing it. Though, those words will be of little consolation to a team who just can’t seem to win championships.