The MongolZ defeat GamerLegion to stay alive in ESL Pro League S22

The MongolZ defeat GamerLegion to stay alive in ESL Pro League S22

The MongolZ edged out GamerLegion in a 2-1 series (13-10 on Inferno, 11-13 on Ancient, 13-7 on Nuke) to remain in contention at ESL Pro League Season 22. This marks their fourth win over Erik “ztr” Gustafsson’s squad in 2025.Meanwhile, GamerLegion bow out of the event with a disappointing 0-3 record. 

Match Recap & Key Highlights

Inferno opened the series. GamerLegion staged a comeback from 1-7 down but ultimately fell 10-13. Ayush “mzinho” Batbold stood out for The MongolZ, producing a 1.93 rating and a +10.1% round swing. 

On Ancient, The MongolZ initially trailed, but a five-round CT run (including a clutch 1v2 by 910) swung momentum in their favor. However, GamerLegion resisted. Sebastian “Tauson” Lindelof’s MP9 1v3 clutch, combined with a 2v3 retake by Tauson and Milan “hypex” Polowiec, sealed the map 13-11. 

In the decider Nuke, The MongolZ dominated the CT side 10-2. Though GamerLegion recovered somewhat on their offense, a Ramp rush and a pivotal 3-kill from Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren in a 2v4 situation clinched the map 13-7. 

GamerLegion’s path through the event was tough: losses to MOUZ and Vitality put them into the 0-2 pool before meeting The MongolZ. 

Broader Context & Related Stories

Inner Circle eliminated The MongolZ earlier. In a prior round, Inner Circle downed The MongolZ 2-0 (13-9 on Dust2, 13-11 on Mirage), pushing Mongolia’s squad into the elimination bracket.

The MongolZ’s rise in rankings. Their strong performances this season (including runs in Majors and big events) recently saw them claim the No. 1 spot on the HLTV rankings for the first time. 

GamerLegion’s leadership and expectations. ztr joined GL earlier in 2024 to replace Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski.  Earlier this year, ztr expressed confidence in his team’s potential, saying, “I believe we can go pretty f**king far.” 

Quotes from Players & Leaders

While the HLTV match report did not include post-match statements from the players in the MongolZ vs GL series, here are a few relevant quotes from recent coverage:

From ztr (after a previous win):

“I believe we can go pretty f**king far.” 

From ztr regarding his team and teammate acoR:

“We believe that acoR is such a good player that we should keep our expectations, but maybe with a grain of salt.” 

From mzinho, earlier in the season:

“In America, we have a crowd like our home crowd, it’s insane.”