FaZe vs The MongolZ 31 July 2026 Prediction

Two rebuilt former tier-one teams advanced to the LAN stage of the season’s first major event with relatively comfortable performances. One of them will now be eliminated. Which team will reach the semifinals?

Format: LAN, Malta

FaZe Has Built Strong Momentum

Roster: jcobbb, Twistzz, JBOEN, frozen, Neityu (stand-in)

Coach: enkay J

FaZe had already shown progress in Guangzhou, where the team reached the semifinals before losing a close series to PARIVISION. Even so, FaZe appeared to be one of the more favorable options among the seeded teams at this event. EYEBALLERS kept the opening map competitive, but enkay J’s players closed it out in overtime before taking full control of the series. FaZe then dropped its own Mirage pick against DENDELE but allowed only nine total rounds across the other two maps.

FaZe is currently 11th in the European VRS ranking after its strong Guangzhou run. The team holds a 162-point advantage over 19th-place Inner Circle, the first position outside the Singapore qualification places. A win in this match would add 28 points, while a loss would cost only two.

The MongolZ Is Trying to Reestablish Itself at the Tier-One Level

Roster: DarkMeister, bLitz, Techno, tikuak, 910

Coach: None

The additions of DarkMeister and tikuak initially raised concerns because both players came from the academy without significant experience. The MongolZ still managed to qualify for Malta, facing serious resistance only in the opening match against HEROIC. After two one-sided maps, the deciding map required two sets of overtime before The MongolZ won 19-16. The following series against Wildcard was much easier, with the Americans taking only 16 rounds across two maps.

The MongolZ is in a secure position at the top of the Asian VRS ranking. The team leads TYLOO by 98 points and is already confirmed for several tier-one events, unlike its closest rival. A loss here would cost only five points, while a victory would add 30.

The MongolZ Has Problems on the T Side

Both teams have been strong on the CT side, winning 56% of their defensive rounds. FaZe has posted that number across 38 maps, while The MongolZ has done so across 36. The main difference appears on the T side, where The MongolZ has won only 46% of its rounds compared with FaZe’s 52%.

FaZe also holds a six-percentage-point advantage in pistol rounds, although The MongolZ still has an impressive 60% win rate in that category. The Asian team has been stronger in force-buy sequences, winning 63% of races to three rounds compared with FaZe’s 55%.

FaZe will also need to prepare carefully for the two newcomers. DarkMeister attempts the opening kill more often, with a 46.2% attempt rate, but tikuak has been more successful in those situations at 55%. Only 910 has a higher success rate at 58.7%.

FaZe Is Looking for Revenge

The teams have met only once, in a best-of-one match at the Budapest Major. The MongolZ won comfortably, 13-7.

Expected Map Pool

The map veto is difficult to predict because neither team has a particularly reliable automatic pick. FaZe most often selects Dust2 despite winning only 38% of its matches there, while The MongolZ has a 75% win rate on the map. The Asian team usually favors Mirage, where it has won 40% of its matches compared with FaZe’s 78%.

Cache may therefore be the most logical FaZe pick after the pool update, as the Europeans have won all four of their matches there. The MongolZ could respond with Dust2, where it is riding a five-match winning streak. Nuke is a plausible deciding map. Both teams have played it six times over the last three months, with FaZe posting a 67% win rate and The MongolZ sitting at 50%. Inferno and Anubis are the most likely bans.

Key Factors

• FaZe has won six of its last seven matches.
• The MongolZ has required a deciding map in seven of its previous 11 series.
• FaZe maps average 21.90 rounds, while The MongolZ averages 22.68.
• The teams split the pistol rounds in their only previous map.

FaZe vs The MongolZ Prediction: Over 2.5 Maps

Main prediction: This series has a strong chance of going the distance. FaZe has reached a deciding map in three of its last five matches, while The MongolZ has done so in seven of 11. The map pools also support a competitive series, with both teams capable of winning their own pick or taking the opponent’s. FaZe’s clearest advantage is on Ancient, but The MongolZ is likely to remove it after banning Anubis. The pick is over 2.5 maps at 2.03.

Higher-odds prediction: The individual maps should also be competitive. FaZe maps average 21.90 rounds, while The MongolZ averages 22.68. Over the last three months, FaZe has gone to overtime in 11.1% of its maps and The MongolZ in 10%. Both teams also produced one 12-12 score during the online stage. The pick is overtime on any map at 5.80.

Correct score prediction: There is no clear favorite because both teams recently rebuilt their rosters and added young players with limited LAN experience. Their online performances were similar, but FaZe has one important advantage: the team has already played a major event in Guangzhou and reached the semifinals. The MongolZ is only returning from the break, which may affect DarkMeister and tikuak more than the experienced FaZe players. The pick is FaZe to win 2-1 at 3.50.