The Mongolz won EWC 2025!
The 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) CS2 tournament concluded in Riyadh on 24 August 2025, and it did so with history. In front of a packed gaming festival, The MongolZ, a Mongolian lineup that had never lifted a tier‑one trophy, swept Aurora Gaming 3–0 to win the championship . The best‑of‑five final was over in three maps (Mirage, Dust2 and Nuke), and the victory gave Asia its first big international Counter‑Strike title . It also crowned Sodbayar “Techno” Munkhbold as the tournament’s most valuable player .
A historic moment for Asian Counter‑Strike
EWC 2025 brought together 16 of the world’s best teams in a single‑elimination bracket with a $1.25 million prize pool . The MongolZ entered the event as the fourth seed and were not considered favourites, but the team embarked on a flawless run to the title . Their triumph has huge significance because EWC 2025 is classified by HLTV as a “big” international LAN and, before this tournament, no Asian team had won an event of this calibre . Analysts noted that the success could usher in a new era for Asian CS2, where previously only minor events had been won by teams from the region .
The road to the final
The MongolZ’s path:
- Round of 16 – beat Gamer Legion 2–0 .
- Quarter‑final – dropped a map against 3DMAX but closed the series 2–1 by winning Nuke 13–8 .
- Semi‑final – overcame world‑No.1 Team Vitality in a three‑map thriller .
Aurora’s path:
- Defeated FaZe 2–1 in the opening round and Heroic 2–0 in the quarter‑finals .
- Swept Falcons 2–0 in the semi‑finals , entering the final as slight favourites.
These runs set up a grand final between two teams that had never reached such heights before, with The MongolZ chasing a historic first title and Aurora seeking to cement the rise of Turkish Counter‑Strike.
Grand final recap: The MongolZ 3 – 0 Aurora
Mirage – nerves of steel
The opening map on Mirage was the only nail‑biter. Aurora took an early lead behind XANTARES and woxic , and the Mongolians had to scrap through force‑buy rounds to stay in contention . After trading rounds in the closing stages, The MongolZ forced overtime and finally edged the map 16–14 , thanks in part to Techno’s clutch 1v2 at 14‑14 and a heroic Desert Eagle round from Senzu.
Dust2 – breaking Aurora’s pick
Dust2 was Aurora’s choice, but The MongolZ turned the tables. By controlling mid and pushing aggressively for information, they exploited gaps in the Turkish attack and punished miscommunication . Aurora briefly rallied when Wicadia landed a spectacular Desert Eagle quad‑kill, yet The MongolZ regained control and closed the map 13–9 .
Nuke – emphatic closure
On Nuke, the Mongolians looked unstoppable. bLitz dictated the pace while mzinho and 910 traded effectively, and Senzu again delivered vital multikills . Aurora’s gambit to force The MongolZ into mistakes backfired when MAJ3R’s eco triple and Senzu’s Desert Eagle triple were answered by even bigger plays from the Mongolian side . The result was a comprehensive 13–4 win and a 3–0 sweep that ended the series early.
Map Results:
| Map | Winner | Score |
| Mirage (MongolZ pick) | The MongolZ | 16-14 (OVERTIME) |
| Dust 2 (Aurora pick) | The MongolZ | 13-9 |
| Nuke | The MongolZ | 13-4 |
Stars of the show: Senzu, Techno and the team
The scoreboard underlined how balanced The MongolZ were. Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold topped the statistics with 61–44 K‑D, 93.7 ADR and a 1.40 rating , earning him the official “Best Player of the Match” honour from analysts . He repeatedly secured opening kills and clutched important rounds .
Yet the tournament’s overall MVP went to Sodbayar “Techno” Munkhbold. Over the event he delivered an astonishing 1.39 rating with 90.2 average damage and a 77.3 % KAST . He produced a 1.50 rating in the semifinal win over Team Vitality and maintained 1.33 rating in the grand final . Techno credited his teammates for his success, saying he owed the MVP award to “my team… I would not be here without them” .
Other MongolZ players were crucial too: bLitz set the tempo on Nuke , mzinho provided consistent trade kills, and 910 pulled off a memorable AWP 1v3 clutch . For Aurora, XANTARES posted an impressive 90.4 ADR and 1.25 rating despite the loss , while Wicadia contributed a +1 K‑D and highlight deagle round .
Community reaction and Mongolz highlight clips
The grand final captured the attention of fans worldwide. Thousands of supporters in Mongolia gathered in Ulaanbaatar to watch their compatriots and celebrate the win. The official EWC channels encouraged viewers to follow the action live osn YouTube and Twitch , and the broadcast drew huge numbers.
Notable Mongolz clips
- Woxic’s 1v2 clutch in Mirage overtime – a brilliant AWP clutch kept Aurora alive briefly .
- Wicadia’s Desert Eagle quad‑kill on Dust2 – the Turkish rifler’s four‑kill flurry was one of the few highlight moments for Aurora .
- MAJ3R’s eco triple on Nuke – a Zeus into a triple kill gave Aurora a fleeting chance .
- Senzu’s Deagle triple to close Nuke – the Mongolian star responded with his own triple to extinguish any comeback hopes .
- “The MongolZ Make HISTORY! – EWC 2025 Champions + Techno MVP!!” – a popular YouTube recap that packages the grand final with Techno’s MVP celebrations.
Social media and Reddit
Reddit’s r/GlobalOffensive saw multiple front‑page threads as fans hailed the 3–0 sweep and debated whether an Asian era in Counter‑Strike had begun. The Skin.club article’s community section curated reactions such as “Well done, handsome” and “Baby goat” , reflecting both admiration and playful nicknames for the new champions. Even players from other top teams congratulated Techno and his squad .
What it means
The MongolZ’s triumph is more than a single tournament win. HLTV noted that the team beat Gamer Legion, 3DMAX, Team Vitality and Aurora in succession (four respected European line‑ups) without dropping a single best‑of‑three. Escorenews pointed out that EWC 2025 was the first major event to use the new HLTV Rating 3.0 , making Techno’s 1.39 rating even more impressive. Commentators believe this victory could inspire greater investment in Asian esports and encourage young players across the region .
For Aurora, the loss is bittersweet. The Turkish squad looked dominant in earlier rounds but faltered when it mattered most; players jottAAA and MAJ3R finished with deeply negative kill‑deaths . Still, their run to the final demonstrates that the team can compete at the highest level .
Looking ahead
With EWC 2025 concluded, attention turns to the remainder of the Counter‑Strike season. The MongolZ’s victory makes them automatic invites to several upcoming tournaments, and the team has already stated that this is “just the beginning.” As the competitive circuit moves toward fall majors, fans worldwide will be eager to see if Mongolia’s heroes can sustain their momentum and whether more teams from Asia will join them on the podium.
