The main stage of IEM Cologne 2025 got underway today, and one of the opening matchups featured The MongolZ facing off against the French side 3DMAX. Despite making it through to the main event, the European squad couldn’t keep up — the Mongolian team, fresh and well-prepared after the summer break, delivered a dominant 2-0 victory.
Dominance from the Start
The last time these two teams clashed was at PGL Bucharest 2025, where 3DMAX came out on top with a 2-1 win (Ancient 11:13, Inferno 10:13, Anubis 13:10). But this time, the story unfolded very differently.
The series began on Nuke, 3DMAX’s map pick. However, The MongolZ seized control from the very first round, closing out the first half 10:2. On the CT side, the French roster had no answer for their opponents’ relentless aggression — the final score was a crushing 13:2.
Next up was Ancient, picked by The MongolZ. Here, 3DMAX showed more resistance, keeping the first half close at 7:5 in favor of the Mongolian squad. But after the side switch, bLitz took over, shutting down any hopes of a comeback — the map ended 13:10.
Players of the Match
The standout performers were undoubtedly bLitz and mzihno. The former led the server with 34 kills across two maps and recorded the highest rating at 1.50, while the latter posted the most average damage per round — an impressive 94.4 — highlighting his consistent impact.
Ready for the Long Run
The MongolZ, who recently reached the grand final of the BLAST.tv Austin Major (falling short to Vitality), proved they haven’t lost form during the break. While 3DMAX weren’t the toughest opponent on paper, the performance was convincing and sets the tone for what could be a deep tournament run. Next up, The MongolZ will face Team Falcons in the upper bracket — a much bigger test that will reveal just how far this roster can go.
As for 3DMAX, they drop to the lower bracket and will face GamerLegion tomorrow in an elimination match.
