rate: 5star “Smashed” The MongolZ and Astralis at FISSURE Playground 3

Tengis “rate” Boldbaatar says 5star arrived at FISSURE Playground 3 as an underestimated team — and used that status to produce two of the tournament’s biggest surprises.

The Mongolian squad defeated The MongolZ 2-0 and then eliminated Astralis 2-1, turning its first S-tier tournament appearance into a significant breakthrough despite eventually falling short of the playoffs against G2.

According to rate, even 5star did not expect to beat both established opponents. The results have nevertheless given the team confidence, increased the importance of its VRS position in its pursuit of a Major opportunity, and strengthened rate’s belief that European practice could be the next step in 5star’s development.

Quick summary

Detail	Information
Team	5star
Player interviewed	Tengis “rate” Boldbaatar
Region	Mongolia
Event	FISSURE Playground 3
Location	Suzhou, China
Major upsets	The MongolZ 0-2 5star; Astralis 1-2 5star
Event-ending opponent	G2
Final G2 result	G2 2-0 5star
Significance	5star’s first S-tier tournament
Stated long-term objective	Reach the Major
Development priority	Potential European bootcamp
Source	HLTV interview with rate
Status	Confirmed

rate says 5star were underestimated before breakthrough run

5star entered FISSURE Playground 3 without the reputation of the teams they would eventually eliminate.

That perception became part of rate’s explanation for why his team was able to surprise stronger opposition.

“We had good practice in our country,” rate told HLTV, pointing to the work 5star had done in Mongolia before the tournament.

He then summarized how he believed opponents viewed 5star:

“[They thought] ‘it’s a bad team, 5star is easy for us’, but we just smashed them.”

The statement came after a run that provided evidence for his point.

5star lost their opening series against 9z 2-0 on September 8 before responding with consecutive upset victories. They defeated The MongolZ 2-0 on September 9 and followed that result by beating Astralis 2-1 on September 10.

G2 finally ended 5star’s playoff bid with a 2-0 victory later that day.

5star’s FISSURE Playground 3 timeline

Date	Opponent	Result	Significance
September 8, 2026	9z	Lost 0-2	Opening defeat
September 9, 2026	The MongolZ	Won 2-0	First major upset of the run
September 10, 2026	Astralis	Won 2-1	Eliminated Astralis
September 10, 2026	G2	Lost 0-2	5star eliminated before playoffs

The sequence is important because 5star did not simply produce one isolated upset. After losing their opener, the Mongolian team defeated two established opponents in consecutive series before G2 stopped the run.

How 5star eliminated Astralis

The Astralis series provided the clearest demonstration that 5star’s win over The MongolZ was not their only upset threat.

5star opened the best-of-three with a 13-10 Inferno victory after building a 9-3 advantage. Dulguun “hoolig4n” Batsaikhan led 5star’s fragging on the map.

Astralis answered emphatically on Ancient, winning 13-5 and forcing the series onto Cache.

The decider became far tighter.

Astralis moved ahead 11-9, but Gerelt-Od “clouden” Jargal won an important one-versus-one in round 21. 5star then damaged Astralis’ economy in the following round and moved into position to close the series.

Even then, the final round required another recovery.

Astralis gained a 4v2 advantage, but Ariunjargal “ariucle” Yadam and Uuganbayar “NEUZ” Nyam-Otgon completed the decisive clutch to secure Cache 13-11 and the series 2-1.

Astralis vs. 5star map results

Map	Astralis	5star	Winner
Inferno	10	13	5star
Ancient	13	5	Astralis
Cache	11	13	5star
Series	1	2	5star

The result eliminated Astralis from the tournament and gave 5star a second major scalp immediately after their victory over The MongolZ.

Background: Who are 5star?

5star are a Mongolian CS2 team featuring rate alongside NEUZ, clouden, ariucle and hoolig4n, with Telmen “shinobi” Batzorig listed as coach by HLTV at the time of the event.

5star roster at FISSURE Playground 3

Player	Full name	Status
NEUZ	Uuganbayar Nyam-Otgon	Player
rate	Tengis Boldbaatar	Player
clouden	Gerelt-Od Jargal	Player
ariucle	Ariunjargal Yadam	Player
hoolig4n	Dulguun Batsaikhan	Player
shinobi	Telmen Batzorig	Coach

HLTV listed 5star at No. 127 around the time of the Astralis upset, while Astralis were No. 12 and The MongolZ No. 14. Those rankings provide useful context for why the results attracted attention, but they should be treated as a snapshot rather than a permanent description of the teams’ strength.

FISSURE Playground 3 was also 5star’s first S-tier tournament, according to rate.

That makes the run particularly notable: the team went from limited exposure to elite international opposition to defeating two recognizable international names at the same event.

Why beating The MongolZ mattered differently

The MongolZ victory carried an additional layer of significance.

This was not simply a lower-ranked team beating an international favorite. It was also a Mongolian domestic challenger defeating the country’s established No. 1 team on an international stage.

rate described The MongolZ as a “huge” name and highlighted the confidence 5star gained from defeating them.

That matters for the development of Mongolia’s wider CS2 scene.

The MongolZ have been the country's most visible international representative, while 5star’s FISSURE run demonstrated that another Mongolian lineup could challenge established opposition at a major international event.

It would be premature to frame 5star as a new peer of The MongolZ on the strength of one tournament. What FISSURE Playground 3 established instead is that 5star can no longer be evaluated purely through their previous level of international exposure.

Why the rate and 5star story matters

1. The upset was repeated

A single surprise can be explained by matchup conditions, preparation or variance.

5star followed their victory against The MongolZ by eliminating Astralis.

That does not establish them as an elite team, but it gives the run more competitive weight than an isolated best-of-three upset.

2. International practice remains a limitation

rate identified practice opportunities as a major development issue.

“We want to bootcamp in Europe because they have really good teams,” he told HLTV.

He explained that Asian teams do not have the same regular access to European S-tier opposition.

This gives 5star’s next phase a clear storyline: whether their international results can translate into stronger practice opportunities.

3. VRS matters to 5star’s Major ambitions

rate explicitly connected 5star’s progress to the Valve Regional Standings and the team's goal of reaching a Major.

“We want to go to the Major,” he said, explaining why VRS is important to the team.

The exact VRS points gained or 5star’s resulting invitation position were not specified in the interview source, so no numerical VRS impact should be inferred here.

4. Mongolia may have another international-level project

The MongolZ remain the benchmark for Mongolian Counter-Strike, but 5star’s run expands the conversation around the region.

A second lineup capable of competing internationally could create more domestic competition, additional player-development pathways and greater outside interest in Mongolian CS2.

Whether that becomes a lasting trend depends on what 5star do after FISSURE Playground 3.

Tactical and competitive impact

There is not enough verified evidence from rate’s interview alone to declare a specific tactical innovation responsible for the upsets.

The more defensible takeaway is that 5star demonstrated resilience across different competitive situations.

Against Astralis, they converted an early advantage on Inferno, recovered from a one-sided Ancient loss, and then won a close Cache decider despite Astralis reaching an 11-9 lead.

That ability to reset after losing Ancient 13-5 is particularly relevant.

Rather than allowing the series momentum to disappear, 5star remained competitive deep into Cache and converted multiple high-pressure rounds late in the map.

Key details

Category	Detail
Breakout team	5star
Interview subject	rate
First S-tier event	FISSURE Playground 3
Biggest wins	The MongolZ and Astralis
The MongolZ result	2-0
Astralis result	2-1
Astralis decider	Cache, 13-11
Team that stopped 5star	G2
Playoff qualification	No
Development goal	European bootcamp
Competitive goal	Major qualification
VRS importance	Confirmed by rate
Exact VRS change	TBD / not provided in interview
Next official event	TBD

Impact analysis

For 5star, the immediate benefit is credibility.

Before FISSURE Playground 3, elite teams had limited evidence that 5star demanded the same preparation as established international opponents. Consecutive victories over The MongolZ and Astralis change that perception.

Future opponents now have direct high-level match footage to study and a clear reason not to treat 5star as an unknown underdog.

That creates a new challenge.

Surprising opponents once is different from producing repeatable results when opponents arrive prepared specifically for your tendencies.

The tournament therefore creates both an opportunity and a test for 5star.

Their ceiling suddenly looks more interesting, but their future results will determine whether Suzhou becomes the beginning of sustained international progress or remains a standout upset run.

VRS and tournament impact

rate confirmed that VRS is particularly important because 5star want to reach the Major.

However, the source does not provide a verified post-event VRS points total, projected Major invitation, or exact ranking movement attributable to each victory.

Verified: 5star improved their ranking during the run, according to the HLTV interview discussion.

Verified: rate considers VRS important to 5star’s Major ambitions.

Not established by the source: exact VRS points gained, a guaranteed Major path, or a specific future invitation.

Those figures should be updated only after a verified Valve/HLTV ranking update becomes available.

What changes now for 5star?

The biggest change is expectation.

5star will leave FISSURE Playground 3 without a playoff appearance, but also without the anonymity they had before defeating The MongolZ and Astralis.

There may also be an off-server consequence.

rate suggested that the run could make it easier for 5star to attract support for international practice. He specifically mentioned the possibility that people in Mongolia could become interested in supporting the team after its performance.

No European bootcamp or new sponsorship was confirmed at the time of the interview.

Those possibilities should therefore remain framed as ambitions rather than completed plans.

What to watch next

European bootcamp: rate clearly identified Europe as a desirable practice destination. Confirmation of a bootcamp would be an important development.

VRS movement: 5star’s ranking trajectory matters because the team is openly targeting the Major.

Results after FISSURE: the most important competitive question is whether 5star can reproduce their performance once opponents have more information on them.

Domestic hierarchy: future meetings with The MongolZ will provide a useful measure of whether the FISSURE victory was an isolated upset or evidence of a more competitive Mongolian rivalry.

Next event: TBD based on confirmed scheduling.

Historical context: from underdogs to a team opponents must prepare for

There is an important distinction between declaring 5star a new top team and recognizing what they achieved in Suzhou.

FISSURE Playground 3 does not prove that 5star can consistently beat top international opposition.

It does prove that dismissing them carried consequences.

The team entered its first S-tier tournament, recovered from an opening defeat, swept The MongolZ and eliminated Astralis before finally losing to G2.

That makes the event a useful benchmark for future comparisons.

If 5star continue rising, FISSURE Playground 3 will stand as an obvious early milestone. If their international progress slows, the tournament will remain an example of how dangerous an underestimated regional challenger can become in a short-format event.

FAQ

Who is rate in CS2?

Tengis “rate” Boldbaatar is a Mongolian Counter-Strike 2 player representing 5star. He spoke to HLTV after the team's FISSURE Playground 3 run.

What did rate say about 5star?

rate said 5star believed opponents underestimated them, summarizing that perception as other teams thinking “5star is easy for us.” He credited strong practice in Mongolia and said the team surprised The MongolZ and Astralis.

Who did 5star beat at FISSURE Playground 3?

5star defeated The MongolZ 2-0 and Astralis 2-1 after initially losing 0-2 to 9z. G2 later defeated 5star 2-0, ending their attempt to reach the playoffs.

Did 5star reach the FISSURE Playground 3 playoffs?

No. Despite eliminating The MongolZ and Astralis, 5star lost their final qualification opportunity against G2.

What is next for 5star?

Their next confirmed event is TBD. rate said the team wants to improve quickly and hopes to bootcamp in Europe, while also identifying VRS progress and eventual Major qualification as important goals.