Cover-Credits:
A weekend full of exciting CS2 action between some of the best teams from Asia has concluded with The MongolZ being crowned as the champions of ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND 2023.
Returning to LAN after two years, the tournament for the first time in eight years took place in front of a live audience and the experience was nothing short of fantastic. The turnout was excellent and the audience mainly supported the Chinese teams - TYLOO, Lynn Vision Gaming, and E9 Esports.
Most matches provided high-octane, top-tier CS2 action, especially on the last day which comprised of two semifinals followed by a grand final, eventually won by MongolZ.
The MongolZ Defeats Lynn Vision Gaming to Win ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND 2023
As many had predicted, two of the strongest teams at ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND 2023, MongolZ and LVG, managed to reach the grand finals of the tournament after giving their absolute best this weekend from 26th to 28th January.
Both teams reached the grand finals by placing first in their respective groups, living up to their status, and setting up an exciting finish to an already exhilarating event.
Lynn Vision Gaming with its experienced Chinese lineup delivered quick defeats to both NCTDK and NKT during the group stage, swooping the top spot in Group B with a +18 round difference.
Having secured a semifinal birth on the first day itself, LVG had no matches to play on the second day, getting an important off day to reset themselves mentally ahead of the playoffs.
On the third and final day, LVG took on the fan favorites, TYLOO, making quick work of them on Anubis and Nuke to snatch a dominating 2-0 victory. It all went down in a blitz with TYLOO managing to win only 11 rounds in total as LVG became the first team to claim the grand final slot.
Anubis | TYLOO (7) - LVG (13)
Nuke | TYLOO (4) - LVG (13)
The MongolZ with its complete Mongolian lineup was not perfect but they did not give up easily, making quick work of ACME in their first match followed by a record-breaking longest CS2 match on LAN against TYLOO which lasted 54 rounds in total.
Even MongolZ enjoyed a second-day break, having cemented a spot for themselves in the semifinals on the first day itself, resting up well before the Playoffs.
On the last day, MongolZ took on NKT in a thrilling series that went down to the wire, both teams winning their respective map picks, before a double overtime thriller sealed things for the Mongolian giants.
Mirage | The MongolZ (13) - NKT (2)
Nuke | The MongolZ (9) - NKT (13)
Ancient | The MongolZ (19) - NKT (17)
The grand finals was pretty straightforward with MongolZ winning consecutive maps to close the series but it sure had some moments.
Despite Ancient being a map picked by MongolZ, LVG was able to push things into overtime, but could not hold them back long enough resulting in a 16-14 win for the Mongolian roster.
It seemed as if LVG would be able to bounce back on the second map Anubis which was their map pick, however, MongolZ seemed to be well prepared and produced a fantastic 13-3 win.
With a clean 2-0 victory against Lynn Vision Gaming in the grand finals, The MongolZ was crowned as the champions of ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND 2023, lifting the trophy in front of a live audience and walking away with $25,000 USD in prize money.
Overall, the tournament produced some really exciting performances and witnessed top-notch action, delivered by eight of the best teams from six countries spread across Asia.
The competitive season in the region has just begun and this is just the kind of start that one could have expected to kick-start the circuit. It will be interesting to see what the next season of ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND has in store for everyone!
