- After three heroic matches in the tournament playoffs against teams: Into the Breach and Apeks, Team Vitality managed to prevail against GamerLegion in the tournament finals.
- The Parisian club won the first CS:GO Major in its history, thus obtaining its 29th major title since its induction in 2013.
- #VforHistory – On the eve of the launch of the new version of the CS2 game, Team Vitality is writing a new page in its history in front of its audience.
A PERFECT PATH TO VICTORY
Team Vitality, a leading esports club in France and Europe, has just won the very first Major in its history. In ten years of existence, the club ranked number 1 in the HLTV world rankings, has won its first major title in the CS:GO shooting game. A flawless run for the team that has left its mark on the game's ultimate tournament, before moving to a new version this summer.
Team Vitality started the qualifying phases directly in the Legends stage of the championship. The team confirmed its good performance by qualifying undefeated for the quarter-finals of the BLAST Major in Paris with three resounding victories against G2, ENCE and then MONTE. The team, composed of the French Mathieu 'ZywOo' Herbaut and Dan 'apEX' Madesclaire, the Danes Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen and Emil 'Magisk Reif, and the Israeli Lotan 'Spinx' Giladi, was able to show an incredible performance from the start, building on the momentum of the IEM Rio won last April.
Once qualified for the playoffs, Team Vitality was able to maintain its steely mentality and guarantee an incredible show in front of its audience. The bee team, which had never before made it past the semi-finals of a major CS:GO tournament, was able to find the unconditional support of the hundreds of Golden Hornets and some 60,000 spectators present during the 4 days of competition at the Accor Arena. After Into the Breach and Apeks, Team Vitality managed to impose itself in a masterly way against GamerLegion in the tournament final.
“My joy is immense, for the whole team, our fans, our families, the staff, our partners. This roster has made us experience incredible emotions. For us, it is the result of a bet we made on the international and with unique profiles. It is also the reward for having been able to compose a tailor-made team to grow our French talent ZywOo, who makes us proud all over the world. This trophy shows that after 10 years of existence, we continue to write the history of French esports in the world!” declares Fabien 'Neo' Devide, President and co-founder of Team Vitality
“We are experiencing an incredible moment of happiness. We have been dreaming of lifting this trophy for years, this team has done it. It is all the more moving because we are at home, in front of all the people who are dear to us. We will never be able to forget it. It is the accomplishment of 10 years of work to make Team Vitality the club it is today: strong, ambitious, with a huge number of projects to continue to grow the scene. We have just fulfilled a dream: to leave our mark on the history of CS:GO by closing the end of this legendary game, and obtaining the biggest victory in French esports. But more than ever, believe me, we are already looking to the future.” says Nicolas Maurer, CEO and co-founder of Team Vitality
A YEAR TO BUILD A HISTORY AND A COMMON AMBITION
The international shift began at the end of 2021 to strengthen the capabilities of the two French talents, ZywOo and apEX. Thus, initially Magisk, dupreeh joined the squad, then later Spinx, to bring the team to a high-level gameplay that gave new momentum to the team. If the first communications were difficult, the roster quickly created a common ambition, that of winning its Major in front of its audience in May 2023.
This rise in performance was also possible thanks to the team's staff. Starting with the iconic duo Danny 'zonic' Sørensen (coach) and Mathieu 'MaT' Leber (assistant coach), who helped raise the team to strategic levels that were still unmatched. But also thanks to the work of Lars Robl, Sports Psychologist and High Performance Manager, who forged this common purpose in the minds of the athletes through several months of tailor-made preparation. Finally, it was Matthieu Péché, Olympic canoe-kayak champion at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Team Manager of the team, who allowed this team coherence to be maintained during the multiple demanding tournaments of the CS:GO scene.
V FOR HISTORY: ON THE ROAD TO CS2
More than just Team Vitality’s 29th title, this victory symbolises a key chapter in their history. The date on which the bee-emblazoned team captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world. As the curtain falls on the CS:GO era, making way for CS2, Team Vitality unveils a new #VforHistory campaign, a nod to their historic motto #VforVictory. This evolution is a testament to their triumph at the CS:GO Paris Major, a victory that has forever changed their trajectory and highlights the accomplishments of this extraordinary team.
Team Vitality's victory marks a decisive moment in its history on the eve of its tenth anniversary. It is the story of a team driven by its dreams that shines across the world and reveals its full talent.