French esports organization Vitality found itself directly at the center of unrest in Paris. During the protests, a group of people broke into V.Hive — the club’s headquarters and fan space. Footage showing serious damage to the building and the organization’s property subsequently began appearing online.
V.Hive was vandalized
Videos published from the scene show masked individuals smashing the glass windows of V.Hive and entering the premises. There have also been reports of damage to training facility equipment, stolen club merchandise, and other Vitality property being taken from the building.
Several items from inside the building ended up directly on the street. The footage also shows branded chairs being carried out of the building, while some of the property was set on fire. As a result, the incident went far beyond ordinary damage to the facade and affected the club’s internal infrastructure.
A Vitality trophy was taken from V.Hive
The most symbolic incident was the theft of one of the team’s trophies. A video appeared on social media showing people displaying a Vitality trophy taken from V.Hive. According to the information provided, it was the trophy awarded for winning StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026.
This is a particularly painful moment for the organization, as V.Hive was created to be much more than just an office. The space serves as Vitality’s headquarters, a venue for fan meetings and events, a merchandise store, and a hub for the club’s operations.
J’ai assisté impuissant au dépouillage de la boutique Vitality avec le trophée de @TeamVitalityCS https://t.co/decOXzdXCr
— Bob l’éponge (@bobleponge42_) October 17, 2026
The vandalism took place amid protests in France
The events occurred against the backdrop of large-scale protests in France. Among the reasons for public dissatisfaction were problems in the education sector, learning conditions, staff shortages, salary issues, and the rising cost of living. School pupils, university students, workers, and trade union activists participated in the protests.
At the same time, peaceful demonstrations in some locations escalated into unrest and vandalism. V.Hive was damaged during one such incident, although the esports organization itself has no direct connection to the causes of the protests.
😳 Vitality’s office is being vandalized amid ongoing protests in France, with footage showing the damage
Hopefully everyone is safe, and all those trophies are too🏆 https://t.co/lxexH1IoPm
— NarT (@NartOutHere) October 17, 2026
Vitality CEO reacted to the destruction
Vitality CEO and co-founder Fabien “Neo” Devide publicly reacted to the situation. He explained that he saw the footage from Paris while thousands of kilometers away from France following the team’s performance in Shanghai.
I had just experienced a real fairy tale watching our performance in Shanghai, and today, thousands of kilometers away, I see a part of myself disappearing in smoke.
For Neo, the situation carries personal significance, as he describes V.Hive as the realization of a long-held dream. The space was designed as an accessible place where young esports fans could play, socialize, and spend time together even without significant financial resources.
Vitality supports the right to protest, but not vandalism
At the same time, Vitality’s CEO separately emphasized that he does not oppose people’s right to demonstrate. According to him, the ability to protest and stand up for one’s beliefs remains a fundamental freedom.
The right to protest is one of the fundamental freedoms that I will defend throughout my life. But looting and destruction should never be part of that fight.
Neo added that what he feels most after seeing the footage is deep sadness. Vitality will now have to assess the extent of the damage to V.Hive and the consequences of the vandalism for the operations of its headquarters and fan space.
