The MongolZ book their maiden IEM Katowice playoffs
The MongolZ have been on a phenomenal run, marking several milestones in 2024 where they etched their name in history, becoming the first Asian team to make it to the playoffs in a Counter-Strike Major. The Mongolians have picked up right where they left off, starting 2025 with yet another landmark.
After convincing wins against Liquid and GamerLegion in the group stage of IEM Katowice 2025, The MongolZ have confirmed their spot in the playoffs and are set to make an appearance at the iconic Spodek Arena. By doing so, The MongolZ have become the first Asian team to make it to the playoffs at an IEM Katowice event.
IEM Katowice events in Counter-Strike date as far back as 2014. Australian team Vox Eminor made the first IEM Katowice appearance from the wider Asia-Pacific region at the Katowice event in 2014. A couple of years later, Asian Counter-Strike entered the IEM Katowice run in 2016. It was The MongolZ who made Asia's debut appearance at IEM Katowice 2016 with their old roster featuring- Zilkenberg, Tsogo, Machinegun, Menace and ncl.
A couple of years down the line TYLOO marked their IEM Katowice attendance in 2018. All Asia-Pacific teams at IEM Katowice event had finished at 12th-16th place up until then. Renegades went on to finish in 9-12th place in 2018, with TYLOO and Oceania's team ORDER finishing in 13-16th place.
Renegades were the first team from the wider APAC region to break into an IEM Katowice playoffs in 2019 but the stakes were at an all-time high as this iteration of IEM Katowice was also the Major. In the playoffs bracket with them were prime Astralis and peak ENCE among other top teams. Renegades however lost the quarter-final against MIBR.
IEM Katowice 2020 featured the most number of APAC teams at once- TYLOO, Renegades and 100 Thieves. Following the footsteps of their fellow countrymen, 100 Thieves made it to the playoffs but fell in the quarter-finals against fnatic. The next few years was tough for the teams for the APAC region before IEM Katowice 2023 saw IHC, with the likes of Techno and bLitz, failed to get out of the Group Stages, going down to the likes of Liquid and FaZe, although they did 2-0 Cloud9.
IEM Katowice 2024 marked The MongolZ's debut appearance at Katowice with their current roster but once again the team bowed out in the Play-In stage, where Oceania squad Rooster was also present, finishing 13-16th while The MongolZ managed 9-12th place.
Fast-forward a year from then, The MongolZ currently sit at #3 in the world and secured a direct invite to IEM Katowice 2025. In the group stage they have dropped just a single map so far and have confirmed their playoffs spot. The MongolZ will face NAVI today for a shot at a semi-finals start in the playoffs.
The MongolZNatus Vincere| The MongolZ |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 2.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Usukhbayar '910' Banzragch |
24 - 30 | -6 | 71.6 | 57.9% | 0.85 |
| Garidmagnai 'bLitz' Byambasuren |
20 - 31 | -11 | 89.7 | 55.3% | 0.85 |
| Sodbayar 'Techno' Munkhbold |
20 - 28 | -8 | 53.9 | 55.3% | 0.68 |
| Ayush 'mzinho' Batbold |
18 - 31 | -13 | 47.1 | 63.2% | 0.61 |
| Munkhbold 'Senzu' Azbayar |
16 - 33 | -17 | 50.4 | 52.6% | 0.42 |
| Natus Vincere |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 2.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Valeriy 'b1t' Vakhovskiy |
35 - 20 | +15 | 89.4 | 84.2% | 1.49 |
 Justinas 'jL' Lekavicius |
30 - 15 | +15 | 84.7 | 81.6% | 1.49 |
| Ihor 'w0nderful' Zhdanov |
30 - 19 | +11 | 83.9 | 81.6% | 1.38 |
 Mihai 'iM' Ivan |
30 - 23 | +7 | 84.3 | 78.9% | 1.32 |
 Aleksi 'Aleksib' Virolainen |
28 - 23 | +5 | 78.9 | 86.8% | 1.31 |
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