After Vitality’s Asian tour — a silver medal at IEM Chengdu and a top-4 finish at BLAST Rivals Hong Kong — Shahar “flameZ” Shushan appeared as the main guest on HLTV Confirmed. He spoke candidly about the team’s form ahead of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, the rise of FURIA, and his own personal challenges. He also touched on the most painful topic of the entire conversation — Valve rejecting his new autograph sticker — and shared rare details about preparation, the mindset of favorites, and the reality of life as a professional CS2 player.
FURIA: The No.1 Team in the World and the Main Major Favorite
flameZ devoted the most time to discussing the Brazilian powerhouse FURIA, who are currently experiencing the strongest form in their history. According to him, there is no doubt that they are the best team in the world right now.
To be honest, FURIA look insanely strong right now. They play like the No.1 team. They barely make mistakes.
FalleN’s squad has won two consecutive titles and created the impression of being almost unshakable. However, flameZ stresses that the Major is a different world, and the “favorite” label often becomes a burden rather than an advantage.
The hardest part isn’t becoming the best — it’s staying the best. Everyone is watching only them now. Preparation against the favorite is always tougher.
He warns that when you’re at your peak, opponents spend days studying your demos, dismantling every round. His prediction: FURIA will arrive at the Major in phenomenal form — but the pressure could decide their fate.
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Why Vitality Don’t Copy FURIA — but Study Them Carefully
Despite his admiration for the Brazilians’ game, flameZ explains that Vitality are not trying to replicate their style. Instead, he extracts specific tools — timings, micro-moves, behavioral patterns.
I watch their demos not to copy them, but to understand how they solve difficult situations. If I see an idea that can work for us, I take it.
Because of this analytical approach, the hosts jokingly suggested that flameZ might become an IGL one day. His response was honest and grounded:
It’s a huge responsibility. I’m not sure I want to sacrifice everything for the IGL role right now. Maybe someday… but definitely not now.
apEX, Stability and Individual Work Before the Major
One of the most open parts of the interview was his commentary about Vitality’s captain apEX, who had a shaky performance during the Asian events. flameZ emphasizes that judging an IGL by his frags is misguided.
If apEX plays at his level and we’re winning — that’s more than enough. He builds the foundation you don’t see in the stats.
He also admitted that the team sometimes goes through “form dips,” and the solutions are often simple: more DM, reviewing positions, adjusting timings. He noted separately that Vitality players practice actively on Refrag — a platform he called “one of the best in the world for mechanics.”
Preparing for the Major: “Now It’s Work Time — Rest Comes Later”
After returning from China, Vitality took a short break — but flameZ says it only looked like one from the outside. Internally, the team is already living the Major.
This isn’t a vacation. It’s a moment to reset and get ready for real work. There’s no room for doubt at the Major. That’s where the war begins.
In the first days after returning, he:
- stabilized his sleep schedule,
- got back to the gym,
- rewatched the maps they lost in Asia,
- systematically reviewed opponents’ demos,
- revisited old Vitality championship videos for motivation.
His words sounded like a personal manifesto:
You need to arrive at the Major like a machine. Everything else comes after.
Visiting ropz: Porsche Rides, Daily Life and Unexpected Fame
A lighter part of the interview was the story about spending a week in Estonia with his friend and rival ropz.
I didn’t expect ropz to be such an amazing host. He really took care of everything.
He was especially surprised by ropz’s popularity in his home country:
People recognize him in stores, know his car, call him by his real name. He’s a superstar there.
He also got to drive ropz’s Porsche:
They let me sit behind the wheel… but I was scared to scratch it, so I drove like a grandpa.
Valve and the Sticker Scandal: “They Cut Off My Signature. It Hurts.”
The emotional highlight came when flameZ described how Valve rejected his new autograph sticker. He had prepared a clean, stylish signature with a flame detail in the letter Z, but Valve reverted to his old version. The reason? The rule requiring the signature to be recorded within 5 seconds on camera.
I made a new signature — it looked really good. But Valve said ‘no’ and gave me the old one back. And the old one… it’s awful. I don’t want to have a Major champion sticker with that autograph.
He also revealed why the original signature looked so messy:
I had to film myself from above. No one could hold the camera. I signed the paper on the back of a Secretlab chair. It was total chaos.
He called on Valve to revise the process, as fans deserve higher-quality autographs.
Pick’Em and Stage 1: Expect Chaos
At the end of the show, flameZ joined the hosts in creating a Pick’Em for Stage 1 of the Budapest Major. He admitted that this year’s field is extremely unpredictable:
Stage 1 is always a lottery. Anyone can go out, anyone can advance.
He hesitated on several teams for 3–0 and 0–3 slots, but the overall sentiment remained unchanged: the Major will deliver surprises.
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Vitality Are Preparing for a Fight
flameZ’s interview painted a very clear picture ahead of the Budapest Major 2025:
- FURIA enter as the strongest team in the world — and the most pressured one;
- Vitality are rebuilding, reflecting, and grinding their way back to championship form;
- flameZ himself shows massive progress in analysis, mentality, and discipline;
- and the sticker dispute highlights how much identity matters to a pro player beyond just in-server performance.
The Budapest Major is approaching fast — and as flameZ himself put it:
This will be a tournament where the winner isn’t the one who shoots the best, but the one who survives everything.
