Anyone who actively follows the world of esports has been unable to escape the veritable yellow and black tsunami that continues to wash over Counter-Strike 2. It's quite simple: since the release of the new version of Valve's legendary FPS, and even more so since the integration of Estonian prodigy ropz at the beginning of the year, the French team has been treading water. With titles galore at events more prestigious than the last – notably the IEM in Katowice, Melbourne, and Dallas – Vitality has quite simply become the team to beat.
Unsurprisingly, they arrived as the clear favorites under the Texan sun. But their new adventure began with a minor setback: a defeat against Legacy, a modest Brazilian team... who nevertheless managed the feat of ending the Yellow and Blacks' incredible run of 30 consecutive victories (!).
A new major and seven consecutive victories
But it was only a postponement. Visibly scalded by this setback, Vitality promptly demolished Nemiga, 3DMAX and Virtus.pro, before winning against NAVI, MOUZ, and finally MongolZ in the final, to secure... a seventh consecutive tournament victory. An unchallenged dominance that, according to team leader Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, leaves no doubt about the team’s status – even though we’re only halfway through the season.
“Seven trophies in seven tournaments, what more could you ask for? Guys, you can already see the best team of 2025. It’s over!”, he exclaimed in a post-match interview quoted by HLTV.org.
The latter has every reason to be proud. To put things into context: at the beginning of his interminable career, which has already lasted since 2009, apEX was often criticized for his lack of discipline, consistency, and marksmanship, and many predicted a rather mediocre career for him. But everything changed when he joined Vitality in 2020.
apEX became a legend
To everyone's surprise, he was promoted to in-game leader (IGL) – a position that, according to some observers, didn't seem to suit him very well. But he quickly proved his critics wrong. Year after year, he has established himself as a fine strategist, and above all as a first-rate leader, inexhaustible, charismatic as one could wish for, and a great architect of a system that is both flexible and ultra-efficient and that never ceases to crush the competition.
The Austin Major was a perfect example of this new apEX. Between inspired calls and surgical flanks, the captain has showcased the competition with his class, alongside Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut – the French prodigy, who continues to reinforce his status as the greatest player of all time. The latter has also won another MVP title: his 27th overall, and his seventh in 2025… for the moment.
To top it all off, apEX even proved he was capable of covering his teammates' backs when the team's genius experienced a rare dip in form in the final. Between his more relentless tactical leadership than ever, his fiery temperament, and his insolent skill, all punctuated by a myriad of clutch sequences, he produced a game of legends. The perfect recipe for winning the third Major of his career – a feat that only eight other players, including five members of the legendary Astralis roster, can claim in the entire history of the premier e-sports discipline.
More than ever, Vitality embodies excellence on CS2. And while the season is only halfway through, one thing already seems certain: the French team will remain the team to beat in 2025.See you next July at the IEM Cologne, another tournament among the most prestigious on the circuit, for the next episode of this French video game romance.
0 Comments