The MongolZ, the Mongolian squad that has steadily climbed the ranks of competitive Counter-Strike 2, have taken down Natus Vincere at the IEM Cologne Major 2026.

The victory came during Stage 3 of the tournament, which runs June 11-15 and features 16 teams competing in a Swiss format. The top eight will advance to playoffs at the Lanxess Arena from June 18-21, where $1.25 million in total prize money is on the line.

A roster built for the moment

The MongolZ entered Stage 3 with momentum, having already secured a clean 2-0 sweep over B8 in the earlier rounds. Their five-player core of 910, bLitz, cobrazera, mzinho, and Techno4K has solidified the team’s position as the most prominent Asian competitor in the CS2 landscape.

Where the crypto money went

There are no crypto or blockchain sponsors listed in the official lineup for IEM Cologne Major 2026. None. Zero.

Traditional betting operators like 1xBet and BetBoom have taken center stage at this year’s event.

The one exception to the general crypto exodus is interesting. NAVI has partnered with Limitless, a prediction market platform, to introduce fan engagement tools during their Cologne matches.

Revenue sharing and the bigger picture

Valve released the official IEM Cologne Major 2026 stickers in May 2026, implementing new revenue-sharing rules aimed at better supporting participating teams. For teams like The MongolZ, which don’t have the massive sponsorship infrastructure of European or North American organizations, sticker revenue can be a genuinely significant income stream.

What this means for investors

The disappearance of crypto sponsors from major esports events is worth watching for anyone tracking institutional sentiment around blockchain partnerships. The Limitless-NAVI partnership offers a different lens: prediction markets represent a use case that doesn’t depend on bull market exuberance, and investors eyeing the prediction market sector should pay attention to whether this model expands to other teams and tournaments.