1xBet and The MongolZ are ready to take on PGL Masters

(PRESS RELEASE) -- From 24-31 October, the entire esports community will be watching a big tournament in Bucharest. The Romanian capital will host the PGL Masters Bucharest 2026, one of the most high-profile Counter-Strike 2 tournaments of the fall season. Over the week, the world’s best teams will compete for the title of the strongest; among the notable participants is The MongolZ, sponsored by 1xBet.

The PGL Masters retains the classic tournament format: first, participants must navigate a grueling Swiss Stage, where three wins advance a team to the playoffs, and three losses end their run. This is followed by a single-elimination bracket, where a loss in a series means elimination. All playoff matches will be played in a best-of-3 (Bo3) format, while the grand final will be a best-of-5 (Bo5).

Competition will be intense. The organizers have assembled an elite field of participants: the 16 strongest teams in the world will compete for a $1.25 million prize pool. Team Vitality, MOUZ, FURIA, Falcons, and other top teams that regularly reach the final stages of S-Tier tournaments will come to Bucharest.

Among them is The MongolZ. The Mongolian organization already knows how far it can go on the Romanian scene: in April, it won bronze medals at PGL Bucharest 2026, losing to FUT in the semifinals but defeating 3DMAX in the third-place match. Its return to Bucharest coincided with a much more interesting moment in The MongolZ’s history.

For more than two years, The MongolZ maintained a stable roster, but over the past few months, the team has made several player changes. Two Mongolian players left the squad, and then two more newcomers joined in the summer, but their stints in the starting lineup were short-lived. In September, both were benched, and by early October, The MongolZ had filled out its squad: cobrazera returned to the starting lineup, and nin9 became the second new addition. Yesuntumur “nin9” Gantulga previously played for The MongolZ in 2018–19, and now he will help shape the gameplay with a team that has won the Esports World Cup and reached the finals of the Austin Major over the past two years.

The scale of the upcoming event is reflected in the level of its organization. The Bucharest tournament brings together two of 1xBet’s long-term esports projects: the brand supports the Mongolian team on its journey to the top of the global stage and serves as the exclusive betting partner of tournament operator PGL. The recent extension of this partnership through 2029 underscores the brand’s deep commitment to the development of esports and its ecosystem.

This spring, The MongolZ already reached the podium in Romania. This fall, it’ll have to start almost from scratch with new players, and only the matches will answer the question: Will the revamped squad make another run at the title?

Follow a week of top CS action at the Bucharest tournament and root for your favorites with 1xBet.