Vitality’s difficult run continued at the Esports World Cup 2026. Spirit eliminated them 2-1 in the quarter-finals. After the defeat, Shahar “flameZ” Shushan admitted the team is going through a difficult period. However, he dismissed concerns about the roster and praised Danil “donk” Kryshkovets for his decisive Mirage performance.
flameZ credits donk after Spirit defeat
Vitality entered the quarter-final on a six-match winning streak against Spirit. Their previous defeat in the matchup came back in October 2024. This time, Spirit ended that run and knocked Vitality out of the tournament in Paris. According to flameZ, Vitality remained competitive on the first two maps. They also created several promising situations on Mirage. However, donk’s individual impact made the difference.
I think sometimes you have to respect individual brilliance. Today donk on Mirage just took the show. When some player at this level with a rifle takes it into his own hands and everywhere we go gets two or three entries, it’s going to be tough to get the game.
flameZ compared donk’s performance to the individual displays that have previously helped Vitality win difficult matches. He mentioned Robin “ropz” Kool and Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut as examples.
We won numerous times because of ropz, ZywOo, just individuals popping off, and today it was his time to pop off and destroy us.
Vitality’s winning streak against Spirit comes to an end
The defeat was particularly painful for Vitality because of their recent dominance in the matchup. Playing the tournament in Paris also added to the disappointment. flameZ admitted the team expected to make a deeper run.
I think it’s disappointing that it happens here in Paris. You want to do good for the club and you want to do good for the players in your team that are from France. It’s definitely disappointing, mainly for the fans.
Still, the Israeli rifler acknowledged how close previous meetings between the teams had been. Vitality had often won those matches by taking the decisive late rounds.
jL could bring fresh energy at BLAST Porto
Vitality will now turn their attention to BLAST Open Porto. Justinas “jL” Lekavicius is set to stand in for William “mezii” Merriman. flameZ admitted that losing mezii at this moment is unfortunate due to his recent form. At the same time, he believes jL could bring something different.
jL is bringing a lot of good mood, a lot of good energy.
Playing with a stand-in will force Vitality to simplify their approach. The team will not be able to rely as heavily on its extensive playbook. Instead, flameZ believes the change can help the players focus on their fundamentals. He also suggested that the temporary change could reduce some of the pressure surrounding the team.
Sometimes it’s a fresh thing — a new energy, a new player, a tournament without stress. We can win this event if we keep our best.
“I don’t worry. I trust this roster”
Vitality have now exited three consecutive LAN tournaments in the quarter-finals. Their BLAST Bounty campaign also ended earlier than expected. flameZ acknowledged that the team is currently experiencing one of its more difficult periods.
I think we’re experiencing not the best moment in Team Vitality because we obviously are not going as deep as we used to.
However, the 23-year-old sees no reason to make roster changes. He remains confident in both the players and the coaching staff.
I don’t worry. I trust this roster. There is no other roster that I want to play with and deal with those problems with. We have amazing five players, we have an amazing staff and club, and everything in this team is just great.
flameZ described the current slump as a difficult period rather than a fundamental problem. He also remains positive about Vitality’s long-term prospects.
Community divided over flameZ’s explanation
The interview sparked debate among fans. Some agreed with flameZ and praised donk’s performance. One HLTV user described the series as a “masterclass from donk.” Others argued that Spirit’s victory was about more than one player. Fans highlighted the team’s calling, AWPing and overall performance. One commenter also pointed to tn1r’s impact on Anubis and zont1x’s performance on Mirage.
Some supporters were more critical of Vitality. They questioned the team’s veto and tactical approach. Others suggested that roster changes may eventually need consideration. For now, flameZ remains firmly behind the current lineup. Vitality will get their next chance to respond at BLAST Open Porto. The addition of jL will give them a different look as they try to end their recent run of early playoff exits.
