In the Mauisnake x apEX interview, the Vitality captain delivered a very packed conversation without unnecessary filler. He touched on several major topics at once: why he has stayed at the top level for so many years, how he manages a superstar roster, why he considers donk the best mechanical player, why he rates ZywOo so highly, and why Vitality still consider themselves the main favorites for the Major.
Not generic phrases
The strength of this interview is that apEX does not speak in generic phrases here, but almost always explains the logic behind his decisions. This is not just a set of loud statements, but a proper look from an experienced IGL at how the modern top level in CS actually works.
He explains his longevity on the scene with one thing
apEX immediately began with a fundamental topic — why he is still here while dozens of others have long disappeared from the top of the scene. His answer was very direct: the secret is not magic, but how much you truly give to the game over the years.
For him, Counter-Strike was never “one of many options.” He directly describes CS as his main priority almost since his teenage years, and in his logic, that is exactly what has allowed him to last so long.
If I have to say anything, it’s that in the French scene I was probably the one working the hardest and giving everything to Counter-Strike. CS is something you need to give everything to — it has to be your first priority. It has been my first priority since I was 14, and I guess that’s why my longevity is there
This quote sets the tone for the entire interview very well. apEX does not romanticize his career — he simply says that surviving at the top level is only possible when the game truly comes first for you.
For him, CS is not about the perfect call, but about believing in the decision
One of the most interesting sections concerns his calling style. apEX explains very clearly: even the most brilliant call gives you nothing if all five players do not believe in it, while confident execution often makes even an imperfect decision work.
You can see his philosophy as a leader very well here. He does not want to kill his players’ individuality with rigid limits, but he also does not let the game fall into complete chaos — his approach sits somewhere between structure and freedom.
I like to build confidence within the team and give players the belief to make their moves. In the end, individuals win tournaments. Of course, the team matters too, but if your players don’t step up, you won’t win. Counter-Strike is still an FPS — you need to shoot better and faster than the opponent. If a player believes it’s the right play in that moment, it gives him the confidence to make it work
That is the essence of modern Vitality. The team does not look like a roster where every move is written into a spreadsheet, but it also does not play random uncontrolled CS. apEX tries to give the players a framework inside which they can be as strong as possible.
His approach to grenades is a system of its own
Mauisnake also led apEX into the topic of utility, and here the Vitality captain opened up in a very vivid way. He explained that this love goes all the way back to Counter-Strike: Source, when he literally skipped school to come up with new strats and lineups.
One more thing matters just as much: for him, grenades are not cosmetic additions to a round, but a real tool for gaining an advantage. apEX clearly believes that many teams still underestimate how strongly utility can change matches.
When I was 17 or 18 and playing Counter-Strike: Source, I used to skip school just to create new strategies. I remember preparing for Copenhagen Games 2011 with my team — we felt we had a real chance to win, and I would spend hours on the server with my IGL developing new ideas because I genuinely loved that part of the game
After that, it becomes much easier to understand why Vitality so often look like a team that does not just “throw well,” but systematically wins itself space, timings, and round entries precisely through utility.
According to him, the break before the Major was necessary
Another important topic was Vitality’s pause before the Major. After the loss in Atlanta, people started questioning the logic behind it, but apEX speaks about it very calmly: the team was exhausted, and without that break, the risk of burning out would have been much higher.
His description of their state after the match against NAVI sounds especially strong. He is no longer talking there about loss of form or rhythm — he literally says his brain stopped working.
It was worth it because even in Atlanta we were completely exhausted. After the Na’Vi game, we were dead. During that match, my brain simply wasn’t working anymore
That line shows very clearly why top teams are increasingly choosing quality over quantity. Vitality are obviously looking at the season not as a sequence of separate events, but as a long distance where, without the right reset, you can simply fail to arrive at the main tournament in proper condition.
He speaks about XTQZZZ as a coach people often underestimate
One of the strongest parts of the interview is his explanation of XTQZZZ’s role. apEX says directly that the problem with many people is that they view a coach’s work far too simplistically, as if timeout win rate were the main indicator of strength.
Instead, he emphasizes something completely different. For him, the coach’s greatest strength is not inventing a magic call during a timeout, but preparing the team properly for the event before the matches even begin.
Eighty to ninety percent of a coach’s job is preparation. If you prepare properly for an event, there isn’t much left to fix afterward apart from a few timeouts and adjustments. The most important thing is how your team is ready to play before the tournament starts. I see people judging coaches by timeout win rates and things like that, but I don’t think that’s how coaching should be evaluated
This is a very important message, especially in an era when coaches are often judged by superficial things. apEX is essentially saying that the main work of a great coach is the invisible part — the part the public almost never gets to see directly.
The loudest statement of the interview: donk is the best mechanical player, but ZywOo is still the GOAT for him
The most resonant part of the conversation concerns ZywOo. At first, apEX says very clearly that he considers donk the best mechanical player ever, not his own teammate. But then he adds a much more important explanation: for him, ZywOo’s greatness is not in “pure mechanics,” but in the way he feels the game.
And that is why, in the end, apEX still calls him the best player overall.
If we’re talking about the best mechanical Counter-Strike player ever, it’s donk. There’s no doubt about it. What makes ZywOo different from everyone else is his feel for the game, and that’s something people seriously underestimate
That is a very powerful assessment, because it does not reduce everything to aim or highlight moments. apEX is essentially explaining that ZywOo is so great precisely because of the completeness of his game: positioning, timings, choosing the right moment, and an almost flawless understanding of where he needs to be at a specific second.
Vitality still see themselves as the main favorites for the Major
The final major topic is Vitality’s status before the Cologne Major. apEX does not hide that the field is denser now than it was in Austin, and that several teams can realistically make a run at the title. At the same time, however, he does not back away from the main point: Vitality still remain the favorite.
It does not sound like self-comfort. It sounds more like the position of a team that understands its own strength while also not losing its sense of danger.
I still think we’re the favorites. That doesn’t mean we’re guaranteed to win — it’s going to be difficult no matter what. But we have to believe we’re the team to beat. Maybe we’re not as big favorites as we were before Austin because we lost in Atlanta, but we’ve played seven events this year and won five of them
That quote sums up apEX’s entire mindset very well. No unnecessary bravado, no fake modesty: Vitality know they can be beaten, but they also know that they are the main target for everyone else.
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apEX — discipline, trust, and confidence
The Mauisnake x apEX interview turned out to be very revealing, because here the Vitality captain speaks both as a veteran of the scene and as the current leader of a top team. He explains his longevity through discipline, his calling style through trust and confidence, the coach’s job through preparation, and ZywOo’s strength through a unique feel for the game.
And most importantly, apEX does not sound at all like someone who is simply looking back at what he has already done. On the contrary, this conversation shows very clearly that Vitality are entering the Major with a very sharp sense of their own strength and still see themselves as the team everyone has to beat, not just another contender in the crowd.
