xertioN: Winning trophies restored MOUZ’s confidence

MOUZ defeated PARIVISION 2-0 in Paris to secure a place in the Esports World Cup Round of 16. The team won the series on Dust2 and closed a tighter Inferno late in the match.

The result followed a period of close losses for MOUZ earlier in 2025 and came after the squad won BLAST Bounty in Malta. That Bounty title was the first for Dorian “xertioN” Berman since he became the team’s in-game leader. He described the win as more meaningful because of his added responsibilities: “I felt prouder of the achievement I made, that I could help the guys, xelex and PR, win their first tier-1 tournament. It’s something that I will cherish all my life.”

MOUZ lost to FUT in the EWC group stage, a match that left the team with little margin for error. The lineups fell behind early on multiple maps, at points trailing 10-2 on Ancient, 9-3 on Nuke and 8-4 on Mirage. xertioN characterized those games as disjointed and said communication and inconsistent early-round approaches allowed FUT to build momentum.

After the loss, the roster took a short break following the Malta event and returned to practice at home to refine tactics. xertioN said the Bounty victory improved the team’s clarity about which tactical and structural choices work: “When you win, the confidence boost you get, your understanding of which things you’re doing are good and which are bad are at a different level,” he added.

The team has been integrating new signing PR in recent weeks. xertioN praised PR’s flexibility, noting that the roster grants players freedom but will micromanage positions when required. He commented on PR’s role: “PR is doing a really good job at going first when needed, also setting up others when needed, being in the back when needed.”

MOUZ will enter the EWC single-elimination knockout stage with opponents that include Falcons, Vitality, FURIA and Spirit. xertioN declined to set firm targets, saying the team will focus on game-by-game execution and communication. “I think there are definitely teams who are maybe favorites against us still,” he noted, “but if we play our A-game, we have a really good chance against anyone in the world.”

MOUZ plans to emphasise communication and following its planned game approach for each match in Paris. The team advances to the round of 16 and will need to win each knockout match to progress further.