It’s just business as usual for Vitality. Winning trophies is just what they do. It’s in their blood, the fabric of this lineup woven with glory. There was no upset to be had here. No “Happily Ever After” to The MongolZ’s Cinderella story. When Vitality had a date with destiny as promised as this, nothing would stop them from becoming BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 champions.
It was the natural end goal for this Vitality machine, who have now won seven trophies in a row. Even IEM Katowice pales in comparison. This was the one they wanted more than anything. A Major in the bag, a Vitality era undeniable. But how did they do it? Was it all plain sailing, or was Vitality’s crown jewel formed under the greatest of pressures? It’s time to review the Final of the BLAST Austin Major one last time.
It really is the hope that kills you, isn’t it? Many presumed that Vitality were already champions-elect coming into this match, and the team arrived with a cockiness that matched that status. As apEX entered the arena, flipping the bird to a less-than-adoring crowd, it felt as though he and his team were ready to show The MongolZ a Counter-Strike lesson. The reality didn’t quite match those early vibes.
On Mirage, The MongolZ hit hard. Certainly harder than Vitality expected, with the former eventually winning out in a war of attrition 13:9. 910 was absolutely lights out on CT side, posting an almost comical 3.57 rating. They were halfway there, one map separating The MongolZ from CS immortality. But this is Vitality we’re talking about, and they don’t go down easily. Whatever was said between maps clearly had an effect, and map two of Dust2 wasn’t even competitive. Vitalty bounced back 13:4, tying up the series 1:1.
That left just one map. Inferno, to the victor go the spoils. An Inferno decider in a Major Final on American soil featuring a heavily-favored European superteam vs. an underdog from a “worse” region. I’m sorry, is this the ELEAGUE Boston Major 2018? As a narrative, it made for a nice omen for The MongolZ’s chances in this one. But narratives alone are not enough to change the outcome of any CS match. Certainly, there was no narrative potent enough to rob Vitality of their inevitable fate in Austin.
Inferno only served to highlight the gulf in class between these two teams. Vitality, dominant. The MongolZ, invisible. 13:6 the score, and Vitality were top of the pile in Austin. Mentality monsters, champions of everything.
For Vitality, the job is done. The greatest Counter-Strike season of all time has been capped off with the jewel being placed in the crown of its Kings. Now, their celebrations can begin as the player break kicks off. Still, on the analysis side, there’s plenty of work to be done to look at what this Vitality side has achieved this year. The storylines are never-ending in this one.
The BLAST.tv Austin Major marks a third Major win for apEX, a decade after he first achieved the feat at DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015. Vitality’s talismanic leader has cemented himself as one of the greatest CS in-game leaders of all time, leading from the front against The MongolZ with a 1.37 rating, the highest on his team. It was a captain’s performance if I ever saw one.
Then, there’s ropz. A Major champion previously at PGL Antwerp 2022, now a two-time Major winner. It all makes up for consecutive Final losses at the last two Majors. A third was simply never on the table for another of Vitality’s immortals. And mezii. Now the first British player to ever win a Major. I never understood national pride in Counter-Strike, but mezii has changed my attitude on this matter completely. Undoubtedly a great of the game, proving that beans on toast may in fact be the breakfast of esports champions. His trophy haul may prove to be the best we ever see from the region when time is called on his career.
And who can forget flameZ? When he was brought in to replace dupreeh on Vitality after winning the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, it seemed like an act of madness. Why change a winning team? Right after their biggest-ever achievement? Well, when a talent like flameZ came along, Vitality saw the vision, which finally came to fruition at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. He is as good as any aggressive rifler in the game (the inhuman donk excluded), and will remain so for years to come.
But I’m saving the best for last. ZywOo. The Chosen One. You can keep your s1mple – ZywOo is the best player to have ever touched Counter-Strike, now a Mount Rushmore figure of the game’s true greats. Now, he boasts a Major win in both CS:GO and CS2 to prove it. A two-time Major MVP to boot. Pressure isn’t in his vocabulary, either, which is often what separates true champions from the pack. Debates will rage on for eternity, but for me, ZywOo’s status at Counter-Strike’s pinnacle is undeniable following his BLAST.tv Austin Major win.
As the player break begins and the reality of the Vitality era settles in, only one question remains: can they do it again next season?
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