Vitality have won every map at PGL Masters Bucharest without their usual leader. According to ropz, the biggest change is not in the results but in how the players work together.
This matters because the team now builds its plans in a different way. In an interview with Dust2 Brasil, ropz compared William “mezii” Merriman with Dan “apEX” Madesclaire and also shared his first impressions of the new monitors.
Vitality Without apEX
apEX is away from the event on paternity leave. Justinas “jL” Lekavicius joined as a stand-in, and mezii took over as IGL. Despite these changes, Vitality beat 9z and The MongolZ, and both series ended 2-0.
ropz is pleased with the start. In his view, the team is playing well, and the results make everything easier. He also likes how mezii is doing as IGL.
A Team Effort Instead of One Voice
The difference between the two leaders is big, according to ropz. With apEX, one person usually took control of the calls. Now the whole roster has a bigger role in the game plan.
It’s very different. We are all giving a bit more input. It’s more of a team contribution than apEX taking control. We do preparation for the game. He (mezii) has a lot of things he wants to call and do. But we have a lot of freedom now to contribute as individuals and help make the call or the plan for any round.
This view matches what mezii shared in his own interview with HLTV. He pointed to flameZ and ZywOo as players who bring ideas, both in preparation and in the server. In addition, he credited MaT and apEX for their work on the game plan. As a result, mezii does not lead alone, and ropz confirms the same picture from his side.
Playoffs First, Trophy Later
Vitality have already won every major trophy, so the team could look for new goals. One of them is a title with mezii as IGL and jL as the stand-in. However, ropz keeps his feet on the ground.
We want to win the tournament, but we are still far from that. Reaching the playoffs will be good. That is the first step. But it will happen if we keep this up, because, as I said, we are killing quite well and the individuals are shining. For now, that is enough. But we will have to see when the harder games come, because we haven’t really been tested yet. We will have to wait and see what the difficulties are.
The idea of a trophy for jL also came up. ropz treats it as a joke. Still, he knows jL would love one, and the team would happily give him that chance. Therefore, the players will try to make it happen.
First Look at the 720Hz OLED Monitors
Meanwhile, Bucharest has another talking point. PGL is betting on 720Hz OLED monitors for the next Major, and this is the first time they are used at a high level. ropz wrote about them on X, and in the interview he explained his view.
So far, he does not see a big difference. His main concern is the glossy screen, which is very reflective. For example, he has to turn off the light on his keyboard. He also expects that stage lights in big arenas, or even the fans, could disturb the picture. For this reason, he thinks esports will probably move away from glossy panels in the future.
For daily work, however, he sees a clear gain in colors and deep blacks. In games, the gain is small, because motion clarity matters most. As long as TN and other panels keep up, ropz believes any monitor will be fine.
What Comes Next
Vitality have passed their first test with four maps won out of four. However, ropz knows the team has not faced its hardest games yet. If the players keep the same form and the same shared approach, a playoff spot looks realistic. Finally, the monitor topic will stay in focus as PGL prepares the next Major.
