Why mezii is a great choice to replace Magisk
The Counter-Strike world has been waiting in anticipation for the moves of Falcons ever since it was announced that zonic and Lars Robl would be departing Vitality for the Saudi-backed organisation.
Many big names have been rumoured to be joining Falcons, but thus far, only one seems close to confirmation: Magisk.
Having already departed Vitality, the French organisation needed a replacement, and that replacement came as a surprise to many.
In their search for said replacement, Vitality landed on fnatic's now-former player mezii, and we think it could prove to be the very best signing of 2023.
mezii is the perfect fit
Like flameZ, who Vitality signed earlier this year, mezii was the shining light for a team lower down the Counter-Strike food chain. In the case of flameZ, he starred for OG, while mezii has been carrying fnatic on his back ever since he joined the storied organisation in 2021.
Having spent time as their main star and in-game leader, mezii has experienced an incredible amount in the past two years, including reaching the top eight at the IEM Rio Major.
That being said, not all of mezii's experiences with fnatic have been positive. During his time with the team, the roster was often unstable, and the struggles that bring is something mezii spoke about in our recent interview with him:
"It is difficult being in a team that is a little unstable or having to change roles a lot. It’s tough for me individually to really hone in on one role and be the consistent force for the team." - mezii
Fortunately for mezii, he won't have to deal with instability on Vitality.
Their roster, and any changes to it, has been carefully considered since the decision to become an international team last year.
With a team that is "a little unstable", especially when spending half the year as an IGL, you could expect mezii's ratings to suffer, but that hasn't been the case. In the year-to-date, he has recorded a respectable 1.08 HLTV, which rises to 1.12 since he passed off IGLing to dexter.
These are respectable numbers, especially given the lack of notable achievements for fnatic.
The most encouraging factor with these numbers is that they are equal to the HLTV rating of Magisk in 2023. Magisk has been a key player for Vitality this year, but numbers are typically inflated by being a part of great sides, mezii's ability to record the same rating in a poor side is an extremely good look.
Vitality won the BLAST.tv Paris Major with Magisk earlier this year. Photo: Stephanie LindgrenAs for roles, mezii assured us he wouldn't be a "1:1 swap" with the outgoing Dane. Because of this fact, there may be an adjustment period for Vitality, just like there was with flameZ, but this will be no issue for mezii.
"All my role changes have helped me massively. I was able to add a new style to my individual game that I had never done before and also give more to the team in terms of ideas and direction" - mezii
mezii's versatility has become an underrated facet of his game. Now accustomed to playing just about every role outside of AWPing, that will be key if he is to fill the boots of Magisk.
The outgoing Dane had a flexible role, sharing the burdens of both a typical lurker and entry fragger. For mezii to truly replace him, he will have to do the same, but he already has plenty of experience doing so with fnatic.
mezii said that "It was definitely a surprise to me to hear that they were interested", but given his growth as a player over the last two years, perhaps it shouldn't have been. A smart signing, the Brit has already done enough to display why he is an excellent replacement who is ready to take the next step in his career.
We're willing to bet that by the time BLAST Premier Fall Final rolls around, Vitality will still be as dangerous as ever.
"That would be an incredible start. It would be my first tier-one tournament win and that's what I dream of as a competitor. As players we all grind the game and the competition motivates us. Winning makes all the time we put in worth it.
As I said, there will be an adjustment period and Fall Final is a great place to start my journey with Vitality. Even if there is not a win here, I know we will be contending and winning many titles in the future." - mezii on what it would mean to win his first title with Vitality at Fall Final.
BLAST Premier Fall Finals takes place from the 22nd to 26th of November in Royal Arena in Copenhagen.
Eight of Counter-Strike’s best teams will compete for a $425,000 prize pool and a place in December’s BLAST Prermier World Final, the culmination of the 2023 BLAST Counter-Strike season.
You can watch all action live on BLAST.tv.