We’d normally cover a result like this in the event recap, but this was something else. MOUZ didn’t just have an early exit at BLAST Open Rotterdam, they imploded so spectacularly that it deserves a story of its own.

The team had an absolute stinker of a showing, pure and simple. They’ve finished dead last after losses to The MongolZ and 9z. Yes, 9z. And it’s not just the loss itself, it’s how it happened.

MOUZ looked completely lost. No firepower, no teamwork, no structure. It was painful to watch, to the point it almost made us feel bad for them. Almost. Just look at their Nuke decider. One of the most baffling throws you’ll see - the kind that would make Falcons proud - and far from the only moment where they looked disconnected.

With that, the streak of 17 straight Playoff appearances is over.

Don’t get us wrong, the level of consistency is seriously impressive. But there comes a point where - after getting this close time and time again - you have to wonder if anything will change the next time. You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Well, you can, but then you’d be named MOUZ.

Ultimately, after a quarter-final exit at the hands of FUT at EPL S23 and now this collapse, the question is no longer if they’ll make changes - it’s what those changes will be.

Just like with FaZe, it’s unlikely there’s a single move that fixes everything. But if there’s one place MOUZ have consistently found success, it’s their academy pipeline. If you don’t follow the Tier-2 scene, you might not have heard of xelex - but trust us, this kid is the real deal.

Unlike FaZe, though, MOUZ seem to belive the key to success lies within their current coaching staff, as they’ve just extended Sycrone’s and Xyp9x’s contracts.