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Crypto sponsorships vanish from IEM Cologne Major as esports pivots to traditional betting money
The MongolZ's mzinho delivered a clutch 3-kill round at a major tournament that tells a bigger story about where esports sponsorship dollars are heading.
An 18-year-old Mongolian player just pulled off one of the more memorable clutch plays at the IEM Cologne Major 2026. But the real story isn’t what happened on screen. It’s what’s missing from the banners surrounding the stage.
The IEM Cologne Major 2026, featuring a $1.25 million prize pool, has zero crypto-related sponsors.
The play that kept The MongolZ breathing
Ayush “mzinho” Batbold secured three kills in a single round, keeping The MongolZ alive in their match.
Mzinho is known for multi-kill clutch rounds, including 1v4 situations and quad kills.
The MongolZ was founded in 2013 and became the first Asian CS2 team to reach the number one spot in the HLTV world rankings. Deep playoff runs at IEM Cologne, BLAST events, and PGL tournaments across 2025 and 2026 have cemented them as genuine contenders on the global stage.
Where did all the crypto sponsors go?
The IEM Cologne Major 2026 has no crypto sponsors present. The backing has shifted toward traditional betting operators, with companies like 1xBet filling the space that crypto brands once occupied.
For The MongolZ specifically, their sponsorship portfolio reflects this pivot. A team that sits atop Asian CS2 and competes for million-dollar prize pools is backed primarily by established betting companies rather than any crypto entity.