DarkMeister and tikuak Benched by The MongolZ

The MongolZ have made another change to their CS2 roster, moving Dugarsuren “DarkMeister” Ireedui and Zolbayar “tikuak” Chimedtseren to the bench. The decision comes after a difficult run of results for the Mongolian organization and means both players have lost their spots in the starting lineup only around two months after joining the team.

The changes mark another stage in The MongolZ's ongoing roster rebuild. The organization had hoped that the addition of two young Mongolian talents would help maintain its position among the strongest teams in Asia and compete more consistently on the international stage. Instead, the experiment lasted only a short period.

DarkMeister and tikuak Leave the Starting Five

The MongolZ officially moved both players to the bench on September 15.

tikuak and DarkMeister joined the main roster in July, replacing Anarbileg “cobrazera” Uuganbayar and Ayush “mzinho” Batbold. The organization saw the two young players as part of its next generation, with tikuak arriving from Chinggis Warriors and DarkMeister being promoted from The MongolZ Academy.

tikuak was considered the more established of the two additions. Before joining The MongolZ, the 17-year-old had spent several months with Chinggis Warriors and built a reputation as one of the most promising young players in the Mongolian scene.

DarkMeister, meanwhile, made a much bigger jump in terms of competition. The 18-year-old had been playing for The MongolZ Academy and had very limited experience against top-level international opposition before receiving his opportunity with the main team.

Neither player managed to establish himself as a consistent performer during their short stint with the squad.

According to available statistics, tikuak finished his time with The MongolZ with a 0.91 rating, while DarkMeister recorded a 0.92 rating. The two players appeared in nine matches for the team during this period.

Another Difficult Period for The MongolZ

The roster changes come after a disappointing stretch for The MongolZ.

The Mongolian team has struggled to reproduce the level that previously established it as one of the strongest representatives of the Asian region. Their international results have become increasingly inconsistent, particularly at major tournaments.

One of the biggest disappointments came at the Esports World Cup 2026, where The MongolZ finished in 9th–16th place. Their campaign at FISSURE Playground 3 was even worse, as the team finished last at the tournament.

The results were particularly concerning because the organization had already attempted to refresh its lineup during the summer.

Instead of giving the new roster more time to develop, The MongolZ have now decided to make another significant change.

The situation was further complicated at FISSURE Playground 3, where the team played with cobrazera instead of Sodbayar “Techno” Munkhbold. As a result, the roster did not have much opportunity to develop stable chemistry, making the team's performances even harder to evaluate.

The MongolZ Continue to Rebuild

The decision to bench tikuak and DarkMeister is not an isolated move.

The MongolZ have already gone through several changes this year. The organization previously parted ways with mzinho, while cobrazera was moved to the bench before the arrival of the two young players.

The July rebuild was supposed to provide the team with a new generation of talent around its established core.

That core included Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren, Usukhbayar “910” Banzragch and Techno. All three remain important pieces of the organization, but the team has struggled to find the right combination of players around them.

After the latest changes, bLitz, 910 and Techno remain in the active lineup, while tikuak, DarkMeister and cobrazera are on the bench.

Coach Erdenedalai “maaRaa” Bayanbat also remains with the team.

What Happens Next?

The biggest question is now who The MongolZ will use to complete their starting five.

The organization has lost two players from the lineup at the same time, meaning another rebuild is required just months after the previous one.

For tikuak and DarkMeister, the decision is a significant setback. Both players were promoted to the main roster with the expectation that they could become important pieces of The MongolZ's future. Instead, they have spent only a short period at the highest level before being removed from the active lineup.

At the same time, the decision does not necessarily mean that either player has reached the end of his time with the organization. Both remain contracted to The MongolZ and could potentially return to the active roster in the future or receive offers from other teams.

The organization will now have to determine whether to promote players from its academy, sign talent from the Mongolian scene or look outside the region.