Monte’s victory signals a clear rise in the CS:GO scene, moving from tier-two LANs and online events to marquee stages like the IEM Cologne Major and PGL Astana.

Gizmy praised Afro for high-level, smart play and for providing a calming, pressure-building presence that helps the younger players, including getting entry kills.

Monte’s playoff run featured wins over Betclic and Ninjas in Pyjamas, a victory over HEROIC in the upper final, and another win against Ninjas in Pyjamas to reach the title decider.

In interviews, the team talked about learning the hard lessons from smaller LANs and how they’re adjusting prep and game plans between matches to prepare for tier-one events.

Monte showed resilience on CT sides and closed strongly on Inferno, even as HEROIC fought back on Ancient and Dust2.

Afro delivered a standout grand final performance, including a 13-0 map on Nuke, with AZUWU and the squad stabilizing on Dust2 and Inferno to seal a 3-1 series.

Rainwaker’s integration has sharpened lurk play and overall strategic execution, boosting the team’s performance.

Monte captured the CCT Global Finals 2026 title with a 3-1 win over HEROIC, earning $75,000.

The victory comes shortly after an undefeated upper-bracket run in DraculaN Season 6, followed by a grand-final loss, underscoring a strong recent run.

Gizmy noted balancing academics with pro play, highlighting university flexibility in rescheduling exams ahead of PGL Astana and the value of academics as a CS fallback.

This marks Monte’s second LAN title of the year after losing ryu to Astralis, signaling an ongoing upward trajectory.

Afro’s year has been pivotal, with standout DraculaN and CCT final showings; the team positions Afro to maximize clutch potential and impact.