The first half of 2025 has seen Team Vitality establish itself as the preeminent force in Counter‑Strike 2. After a relatively quiet 2024, the team surged in performance following roster changes. Beginning with IEM Katowice 2025, where they finally conquered their long‑elusive title, Vitality unleashed an unstoppable run: victories at ESL Pro League Season 21, BLAST Open Lisbon, IEM Melbourne clinching the ESL Grand Slam Season 5 BLAST Rivals Spring, IEM Dallas, and culminating in a second Major at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
This seven‑tournament win streak placed Vitality at the absolute summit of CS2 rankings, with a commanding lead over all challengers
The Run: A Tournament-by-Tournament Breakdown
IEM Katowice 2025 (February)
Vitality’s first major triumph of the year came at IEM Katowice. They defeated Team Spirit in the final with ease, taking out key opponents like FaZe Clan and Virtus.pro on the way. The win was broadcast to nearly 1.3 million viewers, underlining its significance and confirming Vitality’s elite status.
ESL Pro League Season 21 & BLAST Open Lisbon (March)
They followed up with clean sweeps over MOUZ, reinforcing their dominance in top-tier ESL events
IEM Melbourne 2025 (April)
This win completed the ESL Grand Slam Season 5, consisting of victories at IEM Cologne 2024, Katowice, Pro League Season 21, and Melbourne! A rare feat in CS2 history.
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 (May)
A dramatic 3–2 win over Team Falcons in the final, fought across five maps, extended their Asian‑tile win streak to 25 consecutive series. The tournament also recorded over 1 million concurrent viewers, a BLAST record after the Paris Major
IEM Dallas 2025 (May)
That same May, Vitality shut out MOUZ 3–0 in the final, furthering their streak to 30 consecutive series wins, a dominant highlight of the half-year
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 (June)
Capping off their first half dominance, Vitality captured their second CS2 Major trophy by defeating The MongolZ 2–1 in the grand final. ZywOo was named MVP, making this their seventh tournament win in a row. Cementing the “Team Vitality Era”
Why This Identifies as an “Era”
Analysts across the scene agree: it’s not a stretch to call this the Team Vitality Era in CS2. Their string of seven S‑Tier tournament victories, including two Majors and a Grand Slam, highlights a sustained dominance that few teams have ever achieved
As esports central puts it:
It’s finally happened! We have a Counter-Strike 2 era, thanks to Team Vitality.
The Lightning Bolt: Signing of ropz
One cannot overstate the impact of Robin “ropz” Kool’s arrival in January 2025. Shifted from FaZe Clan’s lineup, ropz replaced Spinx, immediately complementing ZywOo and transforming Vitality into a title favorite.
Vitality’s CT side was their biggest weakness before, now Ropz frees Mezii up making Vitality’s weak‑site holds way better. ropz’s acquisition wasn’t just about raw talent. It was about fit, synergy, and giving ZywOo a partner who elevated, rather than overshadowed, him.
Individual Brilliance: ZywOo, apEX, and the Balanced Roster
At the core of this era is Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, arguably delivering one of the most dominant performances in Counter‑Strike history. Throughout early 2025, ZywOo racked up an astounding seven MVP awards, including against the highest-tier competition, and surpassed s1mple’s all-time MVP record with 23
Dan “apEX” Madesclaire is a crucial part of Team Vitality’s success in CS:GO and CS2, serving as both the in-game leader and an emotional anchor. His leadership guides the team’s strategy and decision-making during matches, while his passion and experience help motivate and unite the squad. apEX’s ability to stay composed under pressure and adapt in high-stakes situations has been vital to Vitality’s consistency and growth as a top-tier team.
Shahar “FlameZ” Shushans plays a crucial role in Team Vitality’s success, bringing youthful energy, sharp mechanical skill, and aggressive rifling to the roster. His entry fragging capabilities often set the tempo for the team’s rounds, enabling Vitality to execute their strategies with confidence and control.
As a flexible and fearless player, FlameZ complements the more experienced core of the team, creating a dynamic balance between raw firepower and tactical discipline. His presence also supports Vitality’s long-term vision of sustainable competitiveness, blending young talent with veteran leadership to maintain their status as one of the top-tier teams in the CS2 scene.
The Second Season Threat Landscape: Who Can Challenge the RTS?
Despite their extraordinary run, several teams are poised to challenge Vitality in the upcoming second season of 2025. Let’s explore the most formidable:
Team Spirit – While not yet at Vitality’s trophy level in 2025, Team Spirit remains a constant threat. They recently won BLAST Bounty Season 2 and have boasted starpower via donk, plus added roster changes (tN1R replacing zont1x) that may elevate their ceiling.
MOUZ despite repeated losses to Vitality are experienced and could flip the script with better mental game and their consistent deep runs.
Team Falcons – Runners-up to Vitality in both IEM Melbourne and BLAST Rivals, Falcons have repeatedly pushed Vitality and show potential for strategic improvement.
The MongolZ – Their run to the Austin Major final as the first all-Asian team to do so marked them as one to watch. With confidence rising, they could be dangerous, especially on underdog brackets.
Looking Ahead: Events & Storylines in Season Two
Key Upcoming Tournaments
- BLAST Open Fall 2025, StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, EWC 25 (Esports World Cup) also loom large on the schedule.
Rivalries & Tactical Strategies
- Vitality vs. Team Spirit: A marquee matchup that hasn’t happened yet in 2025.
- Falcons vs. Vitality: Multiple runners‑up results point to a tactical cat-and-mouse across LAN finals.
- MongolZ vs. big names: Their strong Major showing gives them momentum; they might upset the hierarchy.
- Form & Fatigue
Vitality’s relentless schedule raises questions about stamina and adaptation. Will their form hold up into the fall, or will fatigue crack even an elite roster? Time will tell.
