Vitality can remind everyone what they're made of at the PGL Major Copenhagen
With five tournament victories, Vitality will go down in history as one ofthe greatest Counter-Strike team of 2023.
ZywOo was impossibly good, ending the year with a 1.30 HLTV rating, Spinx announced himself as a top-five player, and apEX proved all the doubters wrong as he became one of the most respected in-game leaders in the game.
Not just that, but as they steamrolled the competition at the BLAST.tv Paris Major, BLAST Premier Fall and World Finals, IEM Rio, and Gamers8, they did so while also having to contend with two roster changes and a coaching change throughout the year.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenHowever, for a team that looked immortal at so many points in 2023, they have looked anything but in 2024.
They only had one clean 2-0 at BLAST Premier Spring Groups, an event that also saw them lose 2-1 to Astralis. They didn't live up to expectations in Katowice as they finished in last place after losses to ENCE and HEROIC.
That being said, Counter-Strike Majors are the biggest events on the calendar, and although they are always full of surprises, Vitality have already shown once before that they know how to peak at the correct time.
This is why Vitality have a fantastic chance to remind us what they're made of at the PGL Major Copenhagen.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenZywOo is as strong as ever
Chief of all reasons as to why Vitality have a great chance of reminding us why they were so dominant in 2023 is their star player, ZywOo.
Despite Vitality's struggles this year, the Frenchman is playing better than ever. So far, he has a 1.45 HLTV rating, and although that dipped to 1.19 at IEM Katowice, that's still far from a bad event.
Well, maybe not by his unbelievably high standards.
Photo: Michal KonkolThe AWPer also now has extra motivation to excel to even greater heights than ever before.
He's already made himself equal to s1mple by drawing level with the Ukrainian for HLTV Best Player of the Year awards, and given how s1mple performed at BLAST Premier Spring Showdown, it's likely ZywOo will surpass him in the future, too.
But overtaking s1mple in the annals of Counter-Strike history isn't the motivation we're talking about. A new challenger has risen, and his name is donk.
While Vitality struggled at IEM Katowice, donk had a record-breaking 1.70 HLTV rating as Spirit surged to the trophy and saw his star rise higher than any rookies since, well, since ZywOo.
Photo: Michal KonkolJust as s1mple did when ZywOo rose to power, it's now on ZywOo to reaffirm why he is the greatest player in the world. There's no better place to do that than at the Major, and ZywOo is guaranteed to be ready to do so.
A solid core
Rounding out the core of players still with Vitality from 2023 are Spinx and apEX.
apEX, who has been with Vitality since they entered Counter-Strike in October 2018, transformed himself into a formidable IGL over the course of last year.
Previously a questionable choice for a leader, the talisman has since proved that it was just the GOAT coach, zonic, helping him to glory, and he earned the title of the best IGL of 2023 all on his own merit.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenSpinx also elevated his standing in the Counter-Strike world in 2023. He had already announced himself as one of the best riflers in the world while on ENCE in 2022, but his placing as the fifth-best player of 2023 ensured that there were no doubts over just how special of a talent he is.
They have already won one Major together, so experience isn't a question mark at all.
They'll just have to dig deep to replicate that success a year later.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenHunger
The final two roster members, flameZ and mezii, are no strangers to winning trophies with the French organisation. Both of them won their debut tournaments, Gamers8 and BLAST Premier Fall Final, respectively, but that doesn't mean their hunger to win more will be diminished.
Neither player has tasted Major glory, and as we know from the legendary Zeus tweet, nothing means more to professional players than winning one.
While neither player can be considered inexperienced, their experiences at Majors are limited. mezii's playoff appearance at the IEM Rio Major is the only Major playoff appearance between them, but Vitality were in a similar place in Paris, too. ZywOo had only played in two Major playoffs, while Spinx had only experienced one.
It didn't matter then. It won't matter now.
flameZ and mezii are two of the most talented players in the world, and they'll be determined to write their names into the Counter-Strike history books.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenThey don't have the experience of the players they replaced, but their hunger will more than make up for it.
When it comes to winning the Major, all that matters is that the team members hit their individual peaks at the right moment.
Vitality have done it before. They know how to get the most out of their players at the right moment, they can do it again at the first CS2 Major just as they did at the final CS:GO Major.
VitalitySpiritMOUZ
