The MongolZ Eliminate M8s from EPL

The MongolZ Eliminate M8s from EPL

After a difficult start, The MongolZ have bounced back in ESL Pro League Season 22, knocking Gentle Mates (M8s) out of the tournament with a 2-0 series win. 

On Inferno, the Mongolian side pulled off a relatively controlled performance, converting pistol rounds in both halves and denying Gentle Mates any foothold. 
Their Mirage map was far more contested: the Spanish side (Gentle Mates) pushed hard with aggressive CT play—especially from Alejandro “alex” Masanet, whose mid-control was a thorn in MongolZ’s side during the first half. 
Still, The MongolZ answered with an eight-round defensive streak to push toward 2–0. Gentle Mates dragged the map into overtime, but ultimately, MongolZ found the decisive answers to close it out, even through a third set of extra rounds. 

Statistically, Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold led the MongolZ with a +19 differential (56–37) and a 1.30 rating over the two maps. 
Gentle Mates’ side saw decent performances from alex, who posted a 1.19 rating over 43–43 kill-death, but that was not enough to overcome The MongolZ’s momentum. 

With this win, The MongolZ remain alive in the race for playoff qualification. Gentle Mates, on the other hand, see their run end. 

Related Matches and Additional Context

The MongolZ vs GamerLegion

Just prior to this, The MongolZ defeated GamerLegion 2–1 to stay alive in ESL Pro League Stage 2. They won Inferno 13–10, lost Ancient 11–13, then closed on Nuke 13–7. 
A highlight included Usukhbayar “910” Banzragch winning a key 1vs2 clutch and bolstering the Mongolian side’s momentum. 

The MongolZ’s Early Loss to Inner Circle

Earlier in Stage 2, The MongolZ were sent to the 0-2 bracket after a straight-maps loss to Inner Circle (13–9 Dust2, 13–11 Mirage). 
In that series, David “Dawy” Bibik stood out on Mirage with 34 kills and a 2.26 rating, effectively deciding the map. 
Asked after the match what expectations remained, Inner Circle’s Viktor “onic” Babii responded that his team had “no expectations,” and would simply keep playing Counter-Strike. 

Additional Related News & Developments

Gentle Mates had earlier pulled off an upset win over Vitality in Stage 1 of EPL S22, helping them reach Stage 2. 

In fact, M8s advanced to Stage 2 with a 3–1 Stage 1 record, including wins over HEROIC, Legacy, and G2. 

Gentle Mates is a relatively recent entrant to CS2 scenes; they are a French esports organization that adopted a Spanish roster (Iberian Soul) in August 2025. 

On a different note, it was announced that Gentle Mates (M8) have joined VCT EMEA as a partner team in Valorant. 

Regarding fan sentiment, in community discussions a user remarked:

“Mongolz players are the most professional (behaviour-wise) and mature guys. I’ve never seen them throwing tantrums or belittling their opponents.”