The spring edition, MESA Nomadic Masters Spring, will host eight teams. Two teams from Europe and two from Asia will receive direct invitations, while the remaining four slots will be filled through qualifiers – two for Europe, one for Asia, and one reserved for the champions of MESA League Season 4. Invitations will be based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), with the ranking cutoff set for the first available update in March 2025.
The fall edition, MESA Nomadic Masters Fall, will also feature a $250,000 prize pool. However, MESA is considering expanding the tournament to 12 teams and potentially adding invites and qualifiers from the Americas, though the final format is yet to be determined.
MESA’s Managing Director, Ganbaatar Erdenee, highlighted the lack of high-stakes Tier 2 events, noting that most major tournament organizers focus on Tier 1 competitions. “We’ve noticed gaps in events below Tier 1, as most top-tier organizers focus on Tier 1 events,” he stated. “However, there are no Tier-2 events offering a high prize pool and arena experience. Currently, there are only super elite events or low prize online events.”
Erdenee further explained that MESA aims to create a pathway for teams looking to break into the top tier of competition. “We aim to provide teams with the opportunity to climb up to super elite events and major championships. Meanwhile, we expect to welcome world-class teams just outside of Valve’s top eight rankings. This means our event will offer equal chances for top-tier and middle-tier teams”.
Mongolia’s Counter-Strike scene has unquestionably been on the rise, with The MongolZ emerging as a dominant in the Asian CS2 circuit. Their victory at the MESA Nomadic Masters Spring tournament, where they defeated the European team BLEED in a hard-fought grand battle, showcased their rising potential. Currently, they are making an impressive run at IEM Katowice, having secured victories over Liquid and GamerLegion, and are now set to take on Eternal Fire in the Quarter-finals.
Alongside them, teams like Chinggis Warriors have also made their mark, earning spots in international competitions through local qualifiers.
