“Community reacts: The MongolZ bench Azbayar „Senzu“ Munkhbold”
“Community reacts: The MongolZ bench Azbayar „Senzu“ Munkhbold”
The esports world was taken aback this week when The MongolZ confirmed that 19-year-old star rifler Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold had been placed on the bench, effective immediately. The announcement dropped on October 22, 2025, marking the Mongolian organisation’s first roster change in over two years.
The announcement & the immediate shock
In a brief statement, The MongolZ said:
“Today, we made the difficult decision to move Senzu to the bench. Over the past years, Senzu and the boys have together written a new chapter in Mongolian esports, showcasing world class talent, dedication, and determination. This decision was made after careful discussions between players and management.”
Senzu himself responded via social media:
“It feels like I’m leaving my home… We made a lot of memories together. I wish all the best things for my beloved ones. My apologies to the ones who support us — sorry for bad news.”
The move came less than six weeks before the Stage 3 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 — a period when teams typically seek maximum stability, making the timing all the more bewildering.
Why this matters: Senzu’s contribution & team trajectory
Senzu had become a breakout star within The MongolZ organisation. According to HLTV statistics, he maintained a 1.07 rating after 517 maps played, boasting a kill-per-round (KPR) of 0.73 and a death-per-round (DPR) of 0.67.
Under his presence, The MongolZ climbed the ranks — capturing the Esports World Cup 2025 trophy, reaching multiple major international finals, and earning a top-2 spot in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) for Asia.
In short: the organisation was riding high, and Senzu was arguably their most impactful player. Benching him at this stage therefore triggered a wave of incredulity.
The global community response
As soon as the announcement went live, social platforms and forums flooded with reaction. On HLTV’s own user comments:
“I still don’t understand why they dropped their best performing player, even if he got bought out. They weren’t struggling and Senzu was often showing up whenever others couldn’t. It’s just so strange.” — cadiaN (HLTV user)
“Senzu is a top 5 player and none of the other MongolZ reach top 10.” — rain (HLTV user)
On Reddit’s r/cs2 community, posts ranged from speculation about off-server issues to humorous conspiracy theories:
“Hope it’s not another gambling scandal, he was doing excellent in the last few years.” — BlindNightDriver
“How does it sound like he is going to Falcons? It’s a huge loss for the org though because he was arguably their best player.” — CaraX9
Some more light-hearted takes:
“Definitely not because his performance or something… Something must have happened outside the server.” — XANTARES (HLTV comment)
“Senzu died for whoooo???” — Internet meme reaction quoting the surprise.
Speculations, potential reasons & what may lie ahead
While no official reason beyond “careful discussions” was given, analysts and fans have floated several possibilities:
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Personal or mental-health issues: Some users noted Senzu’s recent social-media changes (such as changing his username to “despairr999”) and speculated about burnout.
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Contract or transfer buy-out concerns: A number of comments pointed toward possible interest in Senzu from other teams, meaning The MongolZ might have benched him to facilitate a transfer.
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Strategic shift / internal dynamics: Others suggested that The MongolZ might have intended to bring in a more experienced or fitting player ahead of the major — indeed, just days later they announced veteran Unudelger “controlez” Baasanjargal as a stand-in for the upcoming IEM Chengdu 2025.
One deeper analysis argued:
“The MongolZ have shocked the Counter-Strike 2 community by benching their 19-year-old star … Given the team’s strong recent results, the decision raises many questions about internal strategy rather than pure performance.”
Implications for team and region
For The MongolZ, losing their best-performing player at such a high point presents a gamble. On the one hand, if the move is forward-looking it could mark the beginning of a new chapter of refinement and longevity. On the other, disrupting chemistry at this stage may compromise the momentum of the organisation that had rapidly risen to global relevance.
From a regional perspective, The MongolZ have served as the flagship for Mongolian and Asian CS scenes. Benching Senzu raises concerns among fans in Asia: some perceived it as a blow to representation at the highest level of competitive CS. A veteran Indian player, Sudhen “Bleh” Wahengbam, tweeted his disappointment, noting Asia “suffers a big blow ahead of the Major.”
What happens now & what to watch
Key questions remain in the wake of this move:
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Who will replace Senzu in the starting lineup for upcoming events? The switch to controlez as the stand-in for IEM Chengdu suggests The MongolZ may value experience and readiness over continuity.
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How will the team perform without their star at upcoming landmarks like the StarLadder Budapest Major? Will the chemistry hang together, or will the change cause disruption?
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What is Senzu’s future trajectory? Will he return after a break, transfer to another team, or retire temporarily from competition?
Regardless of the answers, the move has triggered one of the most-discussed roster decisions of the 2025 CS2 season — not just for Mongolia, but globally.
Final thoughts
In conclusion: The MongolZ benching Senzu represents a high-risk, high-visibility decision. For a team on an upward trajectory, disrupting the status quo — especially when that status quo included their best player — invites scrutiny. For Senzu, the benching signals a turning point in his young career. Whether the story will become one of strategic brilliance or a misstep remains to be seen.
As the CS2 community watches on, one thing is clear: the spotlight on The MongolZ just got brighter. And in esports, brighter spotlight means the margin for error is smaller than ever.
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