The MongolZ upset MOUZ to reach BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 upper bracket final

At BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026, one of the first major upsets of Group B came in the match between The MongolZ and MOUZ — the Asian squad, coming in as underdogs, confidently defeated the European powerhouse in a BO3 series, showcasing strong CT-side performances and composure in key moments to secure a spot in the upper bracket final.

Map veto:

1. The MongolZ removed Overpass
2. MOUZ removed Anubis
3. The MongolZ picked Nuke
4. MOUZ picked Inferno
5. The MongolZ removed Dust2
6. MOUZ removed Ancient
7. Mirage was left over

The first map, Nuke, was picked by The MongolZ. MOUZ looked better on the CT side early on, gaining a two-round lead. However, after the side switch, the European team struggled on the T side, managing to secure only five rounds. The MongolZ showed resilience — after MOUZ briefly took the lead at 11:10, they won three crucial rounds in a row to close out their map pick 13:11 without overtime.

MOUZ’s own pick, Inferno, turned into a nightmare. From the very beginning, The MongolZ controlled the game on the CT side, winning nine rounds in the first half. After switching sides, MOUZ failed to win a single round on defense, allowing the Mongolian team to dominate the map 13:3.

Match MVP

The best player of the match was Techno, who finished the series with an impressive 105.9 ADR and a 1.73 rating.

Despite their underdog status, The MongolZ secured the victory and advanced to the Group B upper bracket final, where they will face the winner of the Vitality vs 9z matchup. MOUZ, meanwhile, drop to the lower bracket and will play against the loser of that series. BLAST Open Rotterdam runs from March 18 to 29, featuring 16 teams competing for the championship title and a $250,000 prize pool.