The MongolZ Bench DarkMeister and tikuak Just Two Months After Roster Rebuild

In a dramatic turn for one of Asia's most successful CS2 squads, The MongolZ have officially benched Zolbayar "tikuak" Chimedtseren and Dugarsuren "DarkMeister" Ireedui. The decision ends the duo’s tenure on the active roster just two months after joining in July 2026. 

Brought in to inject fresh energy—tikuak from Chinggis Warriors and DarkMeister promoted from The MongolZ Academy—both youngsters struggled to find their footing against top-tier competition in the time they spent on the big stage.

Summer Slump and Mounting Pressure

The roster change follows a sharp decline in results throughout the summer. The MongolZ posted a disappointing 9th–16th place finish at the Esports World Cup 2026 and exited in 5th–8th at BLAST Bounty Summer 2026. 

The final catalyst came at FISSURE Playground #3, where a loss to domestic orgless rivals 5star eSports (who were ranked 127th in the world at the time) resulted in a bottom-tier 13th–16th placement, prompting management to pull the trigger on immediate changes.

5star beat MongolZ 2-0 at FISSURE Playground #3 (Image Source: The MongolZ/@1mongolz on X)

This slump stands in stark contrast to the organization's historic height in 2025 with their former lineup. Just a year prior, The MongolZ established themselves among CS2’s elite by winning the Esports World Cup 2025 and securing a runner-up finish at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. 

Even in early 2026 prior to the shuffle, the team remained competitive globally, placing 3rd at PGL Bucharest and 4th at PGL Cluj-Napoca, when they still had mzinho (who later went to BC.Game to join former teammate Senzu) and cobrazera on the roster

The Clock Ticks Before PGL Masters Bucharest

With tikuak, DarkMeister, and cobrazera now on the bench, The MongolZ are reduced to a core trio of bLitz, 910, and Techno4k, alongside coach maaRaa. The organization now faces a race against time with just over a month to sign and integrate two new players before their next tournament, PGL Masters Bucharest 2026, in late October. 

Swift restructuring will be essential if The MongolZ hope to regain their Tier-1 form and rebuild momentum ahead of the upcoming Singapore Major.

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Featured Image Credit: The MongolZ/@1mongolz on X

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