Vitality opened BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 2 with a 2:0 victory over Falcons, with apEX’s full return to the starting lineup becoming the main talking point of the match. After the game, flameZ admitted that the team were still far from their best form and had made plenty of mistakes, but he was satisfied with how Vitality performed following their break ahead of the final stretch of the season.
apEX’s return went smoothly
Ahead of the tournament, Vitality had some time to readjust to playing with apEX following his absence. According to flameZ, the team’s main priorities were restoring their usual communication and adapting once again to their captain’s calls.
We had some good practice to reintegrate Dan into the team. We got used to hearing his voice in TeamSpeak again and having him back as the IGL. Everyone is returning to their roles. It wasn’t that difficult because we hadn’t played without Dan for two months.
Having the full roster back is particularly important given Vitality’s schedule. BLAST Rivals is the team’s final tournament before PGL Major Singapore, and the event’s location in Asia gives them an opportunity to adjust in advance to long-distance travel, time zone changes, and other conditions they will encounter again at the Major.
Vitality could have performed much worse
Despite the 2:0 scoreline, flameZ does not consider the match against Falcons flawless. Vitality lost several rounds from favorable positions, while the individual skill of Falcons’ players repeatedly allowed them to turn around situations that had seemed almost lost.
We could have played much better. We made a lot of mistakes. I don’t think we saw the best Falcons or the best Vitality in this match.
But we had some really good rounds, and we handled the moments when we lost rounds we could have won quite well.
We could have been much rustier coming into this tournament, but we still showed up.
For flameZ, the team’s response to difficult moments was particularly important. Vitality did not lose their energy after unsuccessful rounds and continued focusing on what came next, which is especially valuable following a break and a return to their usual lineup.
Falcons created problems through individual plays
flameZ also highlighted situations where Vitality executed a round correctly, only for Falcons to recover through individual brilliance. One such moment was a multi-kill from kyousuke, who almost single-handedly turned the round around after Vitality had already secured an advantage.
I got the opening kill on TeSeS, and to me the round already looked won.
We were in a really good position. But kyousuke positioned himself very well, instantly killed two players, then a third and a fourth.
We had a lot of rounds where we were in a good situation, but one of their players would just get two or three kills.
That’s what they’re really good at — this roster is absolutely stacked with stars.
According to flameZ, these moments highlighted the areas Vitality still need to improve before the Major. The team must become better at closing out favorable situations and avoid allowing opponents to get back into rounds through individual skill alone.
The full roster has restored motivation
flameZ described the period with stand-ins as challenging despite Vitality’s positive results. He emphasized that the team respected apEX’s and mezii’s decisions to spend time with their families, but the main objective for the roster had always been to return to playing with their regular five.
What motivates us is having the roster back together. You want to play with everyone.
You once again have a very clear goal regarding what we want to achieve before the end of the season.
flameZ considers the return of the regular lineup more important than the results Vitality achieved while playing with stand-ins. The team can now fully focus on developing their own system and preparing for their main objective at the end of the season — the Major in Singapore.
Vitality do not consider themselves invincible
Previous successes and records have not changed the team’s approach to upcoming matches. flameZ emphasized that even Vitality can lose to any opponent if they do not prepare properly or fail to perform at the required level on the server.
No matter who you are or what incredible achievements and records you’ve already accomplished, you’re not invincible.
We can lose to any team, so we have to play well and come into every match as prepared as possible.
This is the approach Vitality intend to maintain ahead of PGL Major Singapore. The team do not want to focus prematurely on a potential trophy — their main priority remains playing high-quality Counter-Strike in every individual match.
The main objective now is the Major
The victory over Falcons was a positive start to Vitality’s final tournament before the Major, but flameZ made no secret of the fact that the team still have plenty of work to do. apEX’s return has resolved one of the main challenges of recent months, but Vitality must now quickly restore their full synergy and eliminate the mistakes that were already evident in their opening series.
We just want to approach every tournament with the mindset that we need to play good Counter-Strike and give it our all.
You enjoy the trophy after you’ve won it, not before.
BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 2 has effectively become Vitality’s final rehearsal ahead of the biggest event at the end of the year. The team successfully passed their first test with apEX back in the lineup, but Vitality themselves do not yet consider their preparation complete. Their upcoming matches will show how quickly the starting five can return to their best form.
