The Real Story of Vitality in Counter-Strike

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The French organization 'Vitality' CS2 burst onto the professional scene with great ambition and intentions to conquer the world of esports. Their journey can be likened to a rollercoaster, filled with ups and downs, successes, and failures. Despite all the challenges, 'Vitality' has always remained among the top teams, posing a threat to any opponent. This article will delve into the origins, development, and key moments in the club's history.

The Beginnings and First Roster (2018)

'Vitality' entered the CS scene in 2018. On October 8th, they announced the creation of a new French roster that included experienced players: apEX, Happy, RpK, NBK- as captain, and young talent ZywOo. This lineup was the organization’s first serious step into the professional CS scene.

ZywOo was already considered one of the most promising snipers, despite his lack of significant experience at the highest level. The team was coached by XQTZZZ. The first matches for 'Vitality' were the qualifiers for DreamHack Open Atlanta 2018, but the team couldn't immediately showcase outstanding results. They failed three attempts to qualify for the minor tournament in Katowice and lost their coach in November.

However, by the end of the year, the 'Vitality' team began to show their strength. They advanced from the group stage at a small tournament and took first place in the open qualifier for the WePlay! Invitational 2018. Then, in November, 'Vitality' won DreamHack Open Atlanta 2018, defeating the Brazilian team Luminosity 2-0. This was the team's first major victory, earning them $50,000.

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Growth and Early Successes (2019)

In 2019, the team refreshed its roster, replacing Happy with British player Alex. 'Vitality' started to deliver impressive results, taking first place at the WePlay! Lock and Load tournament and qualifying for the major tournament IEM Sydney 2019.

One of their key successes was the June triumph at the ECS Season 7 Finals, where 'Vitality' defeated the Brazilian team FURIA, earning $225,000. The team climbed to fourth place in the HLTV rankings, and many expected their success to only grow. However, the summer of 2019 passed without significant achievements, and in September, NBK- left the team, replaced by shox.

Despite a decent performance at the Major tournament in Berlin, where 'Vitality' placed 5th-8th, the team's results didn't meet their ambitions. Internal issues began to surface, leading to a captain change and tension within the team. But in December, they managed to win one of the biggest tournaments — EPICENTER 2019, where ZywOo earned his fifth MVP medal of the year.

Challenges and Changes (2020)

2020 started with difficulties for the 'Vitality' CS2 team. The team couldn't show consistent results in major tournaments, except for their victory at BLAST Premier Spring 2020, where they defeated NIP 2-1. In early spring, Alex left the team, replaced by young and promising Misutaaa.

In October, the roster was joined by a sixth player — Nivera, which raised doubts among many analysts. However, this decision paid off, and 'Vitality' won two consecutive tournaments: IEM XV and BLAST Premier Fall 2020, earning nearly $300,000.

Challenges of 2021

2021 began poorly for 'Vitality.' Despite some improvement in results, including reaching the final of ESL Pro League Season 14, the team couldn't maintain success and placed only 5th-8th at the Major tournament in Stockholm, losing to NaVi. These failures led to the replacement of RpK with Kyojin, which didn't improve the team's standing.

However, by the end of the year, CS2 'Vitality' finally won their first trophy of the season — IEM XVI, confidently defeating rivals like Gambit and Virtus.pro. After this, the team took third place at the BLAST Premier World Final 2021, again losing to NaVi.

2022 Season and New Changes

2022 was a challenging year for 'Vitality.' Despite significant roster changes and the arrival of a new coach, the team managed to secure first place in only two tournaments — BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2022 and ESL Pro League 16. In late summer, Misutaaa left the team, replaced by Spinx from ENCE, but this did not lead to significant success. 'Vitality' dropped to tenth place in the HLTV rankings and couldn't achieve results comparable even to the previous, not-so-successful year.

Breakthrough in 2023

2023 was a breakthrough year for 'Vitality.' The season began with a victory at BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2023, but subsequent tournaments like IEM Katowice and ESL Pro League 17 did not bring the team high results. However, 'Vitality' score demonstrated their strength at IEM Rio, where, despite falling to the lower bracket at the start, they reached the final and defeated Heroic 2-0.

'Vitality' then headed to the last Major in CS:GO — Paris Major, where they confirmed their status as the best team, defeating GamerLegion in the final 2-0. This victory took them to the top of the HLTV rankings and helped them recover after a disappointing 2022. ZywOo earned his fifteenth MVP medal, cementing his dominance on the scene.

The lineup underwent changes: Dupreeh left the team, replaced by young and ambitious FlameZ. The coach acknowledged that this was a difficult decision, but it was necessary to achieve the goals — making ZywOo a champion of the biggest tournaments and preparing the team for the transition to Counter-Strike 2.

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Conclusion

2024 began with a slight decline for 'Vitality.' The team placed only 13th-16th at IEM Katowice 2024 and failed to defend their title at the first Major in the new game, losing to FaZe in the semifinals. At ESL Pro League 19, they came close to victory but lost in the final to MOUZ.

Despite the difficulties at the start of the year and the setback at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2024, Vitality redeemed themselves at the long-awaited tournament — IEM Cologne 2024. This victory not only solidified their position on the global stage but also established them as one of the best teams in CS history. In the final, they defeated NAVI 3-1, confirming their readiness to dominate in the new era of Counter-Strike 2.