Akimbo Esports have officially returned to Counter-Strike 2 competition with a new Mongolian-majority roster, continuing a trend of Mongolian talent making waves in the NA CS2 scene. The announcement, made on March 26, brings together familiar faces and experienced competitors.
The New Roster
- N2o (Bishrel Tamir) — Mongolia
- obi (Ochirbileg Shinebaatar) — Mongolia
- laxiee (Maks Andryei) — Mongolia
- Marro (Bryan Valles) — Mexico
- mason (Mason Watkins) — United States
The lineup features three Mongolian players, one Mexican player, and one American — giving the team a unique international flavor within the North American competitive landscape.
Key Player Backgrounds
laxiee
laxiee returns to action after spending the past two months on SkinRave's bench following that organization's exit from Counter-Strike 2. A proven competitor in the NA scene, laxiee brings experience and Mongolian scene connections to the new Akimbo lineup.
mason
mason also returns after a brief self-described "NA retirement" following his departure from LAG in October 2025. However, mason has been upfront that he's "planning on playing more casually and is not looking to go pro" — suggesting this may be more of a passion project than a serious tier-one push.
The Invite Problem
Like Akimbo's previous Mongolian roster, this new squad faces a significant structural challenge: they will be ineligible for invites in the NA region due to their players' nationalities. With open qualifiers becoming increasingly scarce in 2026, this could severely limit the team's access to major NA events.
This is the same issue that has historically affected Mongolian players competing in North America — while they're physically based in NA, tournament organizers often classify teams based on player nationality for invite purposes. It means Akimbo will need to fight through every open qualifier they can find, with no guaranteed spots at bigger events.
Previous Success
Despite these obstacles, there's reason for optimism. Akimbo's previous iteration found success in the tier-two NA scene:
- 1st place — ESEA Season 55: Open10 Division (December 2025) — $800
- 1st place — Clutch or Kick: San Antonio (August 2025) — $3,750
- 3rd-4th place — Dust2.us Eagle Masters Series #2 (June 2025) — $1,000
The team has accumulated approximately $18,666 in total winnings — modest by top-tier standards, but competitive for the NA open circuit.
Mongolian CS2 on the Rise
Akimbo's return is part of a broader trend of Mongolian talent gaining visibility in Counter-Strike. The MongolZ, currently ranked #9 in the world, have proven that Mongolian players can compete at the highest level — making history with their first-ever series win over MOUZ at BLAST Open Rotterdam just this month.
While Akimbo aren't aiming for Major titles, their presence keeps the pipeline of Mongolian talent alive in the NA ecosystem and provides a pathway for aspiring players from the region to develop in a competitive environment.