It's official: MOUZ has taken over the No. 1 spot in the HLTV World Rankings for Counter-Strike 2 after winning the title at IEM Beijing 2026. This is the European team's first time at the top in over two years. And that's not all: the red-clad squad has also led the Valve Regional Standing (VRS) since the end of October.
How dominant was the Beijing title run?
Extremely dominant. MOUZ did not drop a single map in Beijing. They eliminated BetBoom in the semifinals, and then faced The MongolZ, who had previously defeated NAVI, in the Grand Final. The final took place on November 8th, with the rankings updated at the start of the week.
Beijing is already their second title of the season. In August, MOUZ won BLAST Bounty Season 2. They also secured two second-place finishes at BLAST Open Porto and ESL Pro League 24, as well as third place at PGL Masters Bucharest. Consistently landing on the podium almost inevitably leads to climbing a points-based ranking.
When was MOUZ last the world's number 1?
MOUZ last topped both rankings, HLTV and VRS, in June 2024. Only xertioN and torzsi remain from that roster. This makes their return remarkable: the core of that team is gone, yet a largely rebuilt squad has returned to where the old team left off.
What's next for MOUZ after reaching No. 1?
Next up is BLAST Rivals, followed by the Singapore Major. This highlights the difference between rankings and tournament reality: being No. 1 brings attention and often a better seeding, but victory is earned on the server. As the hunted, MOUZ must now prove they can handle the pressure as favorites just as well as they did in the role of pursuers. Our assessment: With the flawless Beijing run behind them, the team is a serious title contender before the Major, but it won't be an easy ride.
Source: HLTV
Will MOUZ's momentum from Beijing be enough to win the Singapore Major as well?
Comments (0)
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.