HOTU stun The MongolZ at the start of the ESL Pro League Season 22 Main Stage

HOTU made a loud statement at the beginning of ESL Pro League Season 22, unexpectedly defeating the favorites The MongolZ with a 2:1 map score. The team confidently closed out their own pick, Overpass, withstood the opponent’s pressure on Mirage, and sealed the deal on Ancient with a 13:9 victory. As a result, HOTU start the tournament in the 1-0 pool, while The MongolZ find themselves among those who begin with a loss.

Overpass (13:8 HOTU)

HOTU started strong on their map pick, taking an early 5-0 lead. The MongolZ managed to catch up, ending the first half with a narrow 5:7 deficit. In the second half, the Mongolian side tried to turn the game around, but after a brief three-round streak, HOTU regained control, won six rounds in a row, and closed out the map 13:8.

Mirage (13:10 The MongolZ)

On Mirage, The MongolZ looked far more decisive, showing a powerful offense and winning most of their attacking rounds to gain a solid advantage. In the second half, HOTU responded with an aggressive attack of their own and closed the gap to 10:11, but The MongolZ secured two crucial rounds to take the map.

Ancient (13:9 HOTU)

On the decider, Ancient, HOTU proved to be the stronger side. They took the majority of the rounds in the first half, finishing it 8:4. In the second half, The MongolZ, playing defense, managed to close the gap to 9:10, but HOTU’s aggressive attacking style earned them three more rounds, sealing the map 13:9.

Match MVP

The best player of the match was n0rb3r7, who delivered the highest ADR (97.7), a Swing of +2.42%, and a rating of 1.29.

Although The MongolZ entered the match as favorites, they start their ESL Pro League Season 22 campaign with a loss and fall into the 0-1 pool. Meanwhile, HOTU secure an important win against a strong opponent — a major confidence boost as they move forward in the 1-0 pool. The ESL Pro League Season 22 Main Stage runs from October 4 to 12, with $100,000 going to the team and an additional $150,000 to the organization of the champion.