The MongolZ bench Senzu; controlez stands-in for IEM Chengdu
Counter-Strike World Number 2, The MongolZ, have benched Azbayar ‘Senzu’ Munkhbold in a move that has shocked the world of CS.
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… pic.twitter.com/3Aogr7nXAy
— The MongolZ (@1mongolz) October 22, 2025
Who can replace Senzu at The MongolZ?
The move to remove the 19-year-old is surprising for multiple reasons.
Firstly, the Mongolian rifler is The MongolZ’s top performing individual for 2025, averaging a 1.11 HLTV rating in 2025.
Secondly, 2025 has seen The MongolZ record their best year yet, winning the Esports World Cup 2025 and reaching the Grand Final of the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025.
Thirdly, the Mongolian roster is one of the few remaining national teams. With Mongolia having a small population of only 3 million, replacing the rifler is not as simple as picking up a random EU replacement.
Worse than that, the rules governing Counter-Strike’s majors mean that The MongolZ cannot register a new player who is already listed on another major qualifying roster.
That means that The MongolZ cannot steal a player from their major-qualifying compatriots, The Huns.
The result is that The MongolZ will likely field a quite inexperienced 5th player at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.
For now, that player seems to be Unudelger ‘controlez’ Baasanjargal. The former Chinngis Warrior player appeared for CW in their Austin Major berth, but the team failed to progress out of Stage 1.
The MongolZ have only confirmed that controlez will play during IEM Chengdu, with no official announcement on their Budapest Major roster.
The organisation have not made their reasoning for the benching clear, only providing the following words:
“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. We deeply appreciate our fans’ continued support and respect for the team as we move forward. Senzu remains an exceptional player, and we wish him nothing but success in the next chapter of his career.”
Senzu posted the following statement:
“idk what to say it wasnt sudden decision it feels like im 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 if u guys didnt give me this great opportunity there wouldn’t todays me i just wanna say thanks for everything so sorry for everything.“
