After almost five months without lifting a trophy, Vitality broke the streak as the French organization claimed the StarLadder StarSeries title in Barcelona. They defeated Aurora 3-1 in the Grand Final, ending a trophy drought that had lasted since BLAST Rivals in May.
The victory came at an important moment for the team, which had gone through a difficult period, as the team was forced to compete without mezii earlier this summer and will now have to compete without their captain for upcoming tournaments, as apEX is expected to leave for the birth of his child. But for one of the only events with their complete roster, Vitality finally found the consistency they had been searching for.
The Road To Another Trophy
The StarLadder StarSeries Fall was played this September in Barcelona, bringing together eight teams and a $500,000 prize pool. Vitality entered the competition alongside fewer top teams than usual, with only MOUZ, FURIA, Aurora and NAVI considered proper Tier 1 opponents. The team started its campaign with 2-0 victories over MOUZ and FURIA, helping them advance to the upper-bracket final against Aurora.
The first meeting did not go Vitality’s way, as the Turkish side won 2-1 and sent the Bees into the consolidation final, leaving the French team with one final route toward the trophy. Instead of collapsing after this defeat, Vitality responded with one of their strongest performances of the event. They defeated FURIA 2-0 in the lower-bracket final, winning Cache 13-5 and Anubis 13-8 with a great performance from ZywOo, who ended the series with 42 kills, leading the scoreboard by a significant margin.
In their rematch against Aurora in the Grand Final, Vitality started the series with a statement on Anubis, securing a convincing 13-4 victory on their opponent’s map pick. Aurora answered on Inferno, taking the map 13-11 after Vitality mounted a late comeback attempt. But the French side then regained control on Mirage, winning 13-4 before closing the series on Cache with another 13-7 victory.
During this event, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut once again stood at the center of Vitality’s success. The French AWPer finished the tournament with an extraordinary 1.50 rating, leading the event in several statistical categories. His 1.51 rating in the Grand Final against Aurora completed another outstanding individual performance on the biggest stage. The result earned ZywOo his 33rd career MVP medal and his fifth of the year. It was also his 26th MVP at a Big Event, further extending one of the strongest individual records in Counter-Strike.
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A New Start for the Second Half of the Season
One of the most important details behind Vitality’s victory was the return of their usual five-man roster. William “mezii” Merriman had missed BLAST Porto while on paternity leave, with Justinas “jL” Lekavicius stepping in as a temporary replacement. For the upcoming events, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, Vitality’s captain, is also going on paternity leave. Those changes have plunged Vitality into a period of uncertainty, as apEX could leave in the middle of ESL Pro League in a few weeks. But at StarLadder, mezii was back alongside apEX, ZywOo, ropz and flameZ, allowing the best team of all time to be back together.
After a strong beginning to 2026, the squad struggled to maintain the same level during the following months. The temporary absences of mezii and apEX added another challenge, while the team also struggled at some of the biggest events of the year, especially during the Cologne Major and the EWC in Paris. Their StarLadder run therefore arrived at a crucial point in the season, giving the roster an opportunity to rebuild confidence with its complete lineup.
ZywOo himself described the victory as a release after the difficult period, highlighting how important it was for the team to finally win a trophy during the second part of the year. The victory also showed a resilient side of Vitality. They lost to Aurora in the upper bracket, but came back the following day, defeated FURIA and then beat Aurora in the rematch. This ability to recover their form was once what made this team special.
Looking Toward the Major
Vitality now heads into the final stretch of the 2026 season with renewed confidence and a full lineup. ESL Pro League Season 24 is next on the schedule, with the competition beginning in Poland on October 3. The question remains open regarding apEX’s presence at the event, as jL announced that he will be with the team if he is needed to step in earlier than anticipated. After that, the PGL Singapore Major will become the biggest objective of the year. After failing at the previous Major and leaving Astralis’ threepeat record intact, Vitality will aim for a third Major in two years, a feat that would push their legacy even further.
For now, Vitality can enjoy the feeling of lifting a trophy that had been missing since May. After a turbulent few months, this Barcelona victory showed that their core remains capable of competing for the biggest titles in Counter-Strike. The StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 could also become an important turning point as Vitality had started falling down the VRS rankings. This victory strengthens their position for a spot in Stage 3 of the upcoming Major.
