FaZe, MongolZ among invited teams for FISSURE Playground 3, but the tournament has already been cancelled

FaZe Clan and The MongolZ were among the teams set to receive direct invitations to FISSURE Playground 3, a $1 million Counter-Strike 2 offline tournament planned for Shenzhen, China. There’s just one problem: the event no longer exists.

FPG 3 was officially cancelled on March 3, 2026, barely a day after the Valve Regional Standings that would have determined the invite list were published. The FISSURE organization cited logistical conflicts in the competitive calendar as the reason, though the cancellation also arrives amid broader financial difficulties for the organizer.

What FPG 3 was supposed to be

The tournament was scheduled to run from April 20 through April 26, 2026, featuring 16 teams competing for a total prize pool of $1 million. Of that sum, roughly $450K was earmarked for player payouts, with the remaining $550K allocated toward organizational and club costs.

Fifteen of those 16 slots were reserved for direct invites based on the VRS Global Rankings, with one final spot available through a closed qualifier. Both FaZe Clan and The MongolZ had earned their expected invitations through consistently strong performances, including results at prior FISSURE events.

The previous iteration, FISSURE Playground 2, took place in September 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia, where teams competed for a prize pool of $1.25 million. FPG 3 was supposed to build on that momentum.

Instead, the full invite list never materialized publicly before the plug was pulled.

A scheduling conflict, or something deeper

FISSURE pointed to calendar congestion as the proximate cause of the cancellation. The organization has stated it plans to continue hosting other events in its pipeline.

What this means for the teams and the scene

For FaZe Clan and The MongolZ, losing one tournament invitation is annoying but manageable. Both teams occupy strong positions in the global rankings and will have no shortage of tier-one events to attend.

The invite-based model itself also comes with inherent fragility. Because FPG 3’s roster depended on VRS rankings rather than long-term contractual commitments from teams, the event existed in a kind of limbo until every invitation was formally accepted. That structure gives organizers flexibility but also makes it easier for tournaments to evaporate before they solidify.

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