The beginning of 2026 has not been as bright as fans expected for the stars of Vitality and FaZe. ZywOo once again opened the season with rather average individual numbers, while ropz found himself in the same statistical risk zone. For players of this caliber, this is becoming a worrying signal, especially considering last year’s trends.
Individual statistics of the leaders
The BLAST Bounty Spring 2026 LAN Finals became the first serious test for the top players of the scene in the new season. While the teams showed a solid overall level, the individual statistics of their leaders were below their usual standards. ZywOo finished the tournament with a 1.04 rating, while ropz ended with 0.97. For comparison, in 2025 both started the season even worse, but once again the gap between expectations and reality stood out.
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ZywOo is once again not in peak form at the start of the year
For Mathieu Herbaut, the start of the season looks restrained for the second year in a row. A 1.04 rating at the BLAST LAN Finals is far from the numbers usually associated with the best player in the world.
In 2025, ZywOo also failed to impress at the first major events, but later quickly picked up form and returned to dominance. Now the situation is repeating almost mirror-like: solid and reliable play, no major failures, but without the explosive impact that made him a decisive factor in every match.
The decline in metrics such as round swing and overall firepower compared to last year further highlights that ZywOo has not yet reached his peak level.
ropz: a 0.97 rating as a reflection of instability
This time Robin “ropz” Kool finished the tournament with a 0.97 rating, which for a player of his class looks even more alarming than ZywOo’s 1.04.
However, it is worth remembering 2025: at the BLAST Bounty Finals S1 he performed even worse, ending with a 0.82 rating. Compared to that, his current numbers no longer look catastrophic. Rather, they confirm a pattern: ropz often struggles at the beginning of the season, but gradually reaches a stable high level by mid-year.
The difference is that this time the dip is not as deep, but it is still noticeable given the expectations placed on one of the most consistent riflers in the world.
Comparison with last year: a repeated scenario
If we look at the raw numbers, the picture is as follows:
In 2025:
- ZywOo had a 1.05 rating at the BLAST Bounty Spring Finals.
- ropz finished the tournament with a 0.82 rating.
In 2026:
- ZywOo — 1.04.
- ropz — 0.97.
For Mathieu, the numbers have barely changed, while ropz has significantly improved his starting figures. This means that at least one of the two has already taken a step forward compared to last season.
At the same time, an uncomfortable pattern is emerging for ZywOo: for the second year in a row, he is starting the season without dominance, something that used to be almost normal for him.
How critical this is for Vitality and FaZe
For Vitality, ZywOo’s form is traditionally decisive. Even with a 1.04 rating he remains a key figure, but the difference between a “very strong player” and an “absolute dominator” is immediately felt by the team.
For FaZe, ropz’s impact is slightly different. His game is built on consistency and structure, so even a small drop in individual performance can hit the overall balance of the team harder. A rating below 1.00 is a clear signal that FaZe are still far from optimal form.
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A difficult start to the season
ZywOo is starting the year for the second consecutive time without absolute dominance, while ropz is once again going through a difficult beginning of the season, even if it is better than last year. History shows, however, that both players are capable of making a sharp leap forward in the second half of the season.
For now, this is not a reason for panic, but it is a clear marker: 2026 will not be an easy ride for either Vitality or FaZe, and their leaders will once again have to prove their status not with past achievements, but with their performance here and now.
