Vitality on the brink of immortality as The MongolZ await in the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 Final

At this point, I’m not even sure how to quantify this Vitality roster. Time and time again, they have dared to be great, and have delivered consistent excellence on the server. A near-perfect season, stained only by their maiden event at BLAST Bounty to kick off 2025. But no matter how many trophies they won in a row, there was always one lingering concern – to have an era, you must win a Major.

Now, Vitality stand just one win away from doing just that. Only The MongolZ can stop their ascent to immortality. Still, the overwhelming expectation is of a fairytale ending at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, in which we crown one of the best Counter-Strike teams of all time. Certainly, the coronation of the Kings in yellow feels like a formality at this point, although to put it down as a 100% sure thing would be disrespectful to The MongolZ.

Vitality maintain winning run against MOUZ

Vitality’s Semi-Final against MOUZ en route to the Austin Major Grand Final was a real grind. Things started off perfectly, with a comfortable 13:8 on Mirage. All signs pointed to Vitality being in cruise control, although MOUZ absolutely shellshocked them on Inferno. 13:4 was the final score, although even that is kind to Vitality, who at one point were 12:1 down. It was a real blowout – the kind that gets the mind racing ahead of map three.

But this is Vitality, and there’s a reason they’ve won six trophies in a row. There’s a reason that, prior to this, they had beaten MOUZ a total of six times in 2025. They’re just better. Normal service was resumed in the Train decider, and Vitality were able to showcase their dominance again to lock in their BLAST.tv Austin Major Grand Final place. Adversity, overcome.

For MOUZ, the sight of torzsi in tears post-match was an uncomfortable sight, albeit a harsh reminder of the demands of Tier 1 Counter-Strike. Vitality’s dominance is proving to be a real morale-killer for their opponents, so imagine how The MongolZ are feeling ahead of tomorrow?

The MongolZ can determine Vitality’s legacy

Tomorrow, Vitality and The MongolZ will take to the server in the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 Grand Final. One last best-of-three for all the glory. For The MongolZ, this run is already the greatest achievement in Asian Counter-Strike history, with the opportunity to become something more (Gambit at Krakow 2017 was great, but also involved two European players). Yet, as underdogs, there’s little expectation on their shoulders. Whatever will be will be – they’re already legends in their own right.

On Vitality’s side, they’re competing for a different status altogether. CS godhood. Should they win a Major, we’ll instantly be talking about this team alongside the likes of prime Astralis. Despite the lack of true longevity (say, 12 months or more), that’s no hyperbole – it’s just how high the ceiling has been for Vitality. However, if they slip up and don’t win a Major, they could be just another great team that couldn’t get it over the line. They’ve never seemed phased by pressure at all in 2025, but a Major is a different kettle of fish entirely. Stranger things have happened.

On an individual level, apEX sits on the precipice of becoming a three-time Major winner. ZywOo and ropz, two times as well. Then you have mezii, who has the opportunity to become the first-ever Englishman to take home Counter-Strike’s greatest prize. All he had to do was cozy up to the French.

Despite all the talk of Vitality being champions-elect, the job is far from done. They know that, and that’s why they’re in this position in the first place. They never underestimate their opponents, no matter who they are. At this level, it’s the only way to be.

There are some holes in the Vitality defense that The MongolZ need to exploit. First, they need to get this to Inferno as their map pick. Vitality have only lost two maps at the BLAST Austin Major 2025, both on Inferno and in convincing fashion. As a matter of fact, they’re yet to win on it at the event, meaning The MongolZ must exploit this to have any chance of victory. Senzu needs to be online, too, having seemingly shed his “stage choker” reputation far earlier than most. At 18 years old, he is among the youngest to ever play in a Major Final (alongside teammate mzinho). Crucially, his firepower is a key win condition for the team, so he’ll need to have composure beyond his years if they’re to upset the Vitality party in this one. Unlikely? Absolutely. Impossible? Absolutely not.