Vitality Zen and Stizzy on New Leaders, New Comms, New Energy

With two stars on their chest, Team Vitality is in elite company at the pinnacle of Rocket League esports. But after peaking in 2023 with the perfect split that announced the legend of zen, the bees haven’t been buzzing with the same international prowess as they are used to.

Having relied on a veteran lynchpin and two flared young guns as a signature style for the last handful of years, Vitality has now flipped the script and placed its faith in the youth again for 2026. Leading the way for Rocket League esports now.

With high-flying Gaspar ‘Stizzy’ Andres coming in for the evergreen icon Evan ‘M0nkey M00n’ Rogez, Vitality told Hotspawn that the expectation is to win again in Boston, with new habits, new staff, new rules, and new energy.

I spoke to Alexis ‘zen’ Bernier, Stizzy, and Head Coach Benjamin ‘Eversax’ Wagner about how the new roster has settled together, changed languages to accommodate the first non-Frenchman since 2020, and how the ‘group of death’ is a change to prove their prowess.

Passing down the baton

In years gone by, Vitality has always had a trusted pivot that served as the cool head in a trio blessed with mechanics. From M0nkey M00n, Yanis ‘Alpha54’, and Alexandre ‘Kaydop’ Courant, the leadership model has been clear, while a foray of amazing aerialists has been let loose on either side of them.

But the new competitive Rocket League roster for 2026 sees Stizzy come in to replace one of the best players of all time.

“Every season, you have the choice to make changes or stick together; we decided to make a change,” said zen.

“We brought in a player who proved himself last season with Dignitas. He showed he was strong in exactly the areas we were looking for.”

Stizzy has quickly showcased why he was so hot on the market, being a defensive stalwart in early showcases in black and white. But maybe the biggest shoes to fill are the ones zen is stepping into.

Once the kid prodigy, full of enthusiasm, emotion, and passion, zen now steps into a more mature leadership role, with the baton handed over by some of the game’s greats.

“Since I played with teammates like Alpha and M0nkey, they passed things down to me that I can now pass on to players like Stizzy, who is the youngest on the team,” he added.

“Honestly, I’m very grateful to have teamed up with veterans and even the ‘GOATs’ of the game. It’s a major plus for the team and me because of the experience I can now bring to the table.”

Sortez avec le vieux, in with the new

The change in personnel also brings a change in language, as Stizzy arrives at Vitality as the first non-French-speaking player since Kyle ‘Scrub Killa’ Roberston. The Spaniard revealed that the team now comms in English, but this has been a quick transition that all three players have found easier than they’d first thought.

“There is also the language barrier since we communicate in English, but we are adapting, and everyone is getting along well so far. I think we have great chemistry outside of the game, and now we just need to keep grinding, as I believe that’s the key,” zen continued.

“Switching the team comms to English was the biggest jump, but since everyone is motivated to win, we adjusted quickly,” added Stizzy.

“To be honest, the integration went much more smoothly than I expected. Even though the org has a very strong French identity, the guys made me feel at home right away.

“Being the first international player since 2020 is an honour, not a pressure. I’m just here to play my game and prove that chemistry transcends the language barrier.”

Off the bat, the bees have established themselves in and among Europe’s best again, and look to be real contenders in Boston.

With the new youthful philosophy, Vitality is chasing its first silverware since its coveted Worlds win in 2023, back on familiar turf as the reigning champions of Boston. And Stizzy looks to be the glue that has been missing for some years.

“I think I’ve just learned to work differently with a new team staff, new habits, new team rules, and perhaps also to work harder than before,” he added.

Group of death and Boston expectations

The Boston Major threw Vitality’s young guns straight into the meat grinder, with

The Group of Death immediately saw Vitality come out swinging, taking down SpaceStation Gaming and Twisted Minds before finally breaking their losing streak to Karmine Corp right when it was needed the most.

But as an area of contention, Head Coach Eversax claimed it’s a challenge that was cherished.

“To be honest, if you want to win a tournament, you have to beat everyone anyway,” he said.

“Whether it’s this group or another doesn’t really matter. It’s also up to us to perform better during the Regionals so we don’t end up with this kind of seeding, but it is what it is.”

With that win over KC, especially, it sets Vitality up for a deep run into the top bracket at Boston, but also resets the momentum for Paris qualifications, where the esteemed French orgs will be front and center with thousands of die-hard fans full of optimism and expectation.

“Winning in Paris is a huge point of pride for French players. We all want to win in front of our home crowd. We know we can do it, so we need to go out there and prove it.”

For now, the focus is firm on Championship Sunday in Boston, but its clear this new revitalised Vitality has a different edge that we’ve not seen for three years.