The youth wing of Mongolia’s Democratic Party is stepping into the country’s rapidly growing esports scene with the launch of a Counter-Strike 2 tournament titled “Road to Major.”

The event is being organised by the party’s student and youth structure in the Bayanzürkh district of Ulaanbaatar. The LAN tournament will feature traditional 5v5 Counter-Strike 2 competition and is expected to bring together teams from across the district.

According to official details, organisers have set a prize pool of 20,000,000 Mongolian tögrög (₮), roughly $5,600 to $5,800 USD. However, participation in the tournament comes with an unusual requirement: every player must hold a “Democracy Gereg,” the official membership card of Mongolia’s Democratic Party.

In addition, each team must consist of five members aged 18 or older, and all players must already be registered party members. Teams are required to register through the party’s youth organisation, with free registration open until March 9, 2026.

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It’s no secret that Counter-Strike has become extremely popular in Mongolia in recent years, largely driven by the international success of the Mongolian esports team The MongolZ. The team has gained a large following domestically after becoming the first Asian roster to reach the top three in global rankings and winning major titles such as the 2025 Esports World Cup.

Their rise has also been recognised at the government level. Mongolia’s Minister of Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth has officially designated The MongolZ as the country’s “National Esports Team,” a status that comes with government-backed salaries, training funding, official athlete recognition, and special passports designed to ease international travel for tournaments.

With Counter-Strike booming across the country, politicians are increasingly viewing esports as more than just entertainment. It is quickly becoming a channel to connect with younger audiences. So while the competition itself centers on esports, the broader objective appears to be political outreach, with the Democratic Party using this new CS2 event as a recruitment platform to attract new youth supporters and party members.

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