Will Vitality Prevail in the Second Half of 2026?

Will Vitality Prevail in the Second Half of 2026?

Team Vitality began 2026 looking less like an ordinary championship contender and more like the final boss of professional Counter-Strike. With Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut at the centre of an exceptionally balanced roster, Vitality collected five consecutive trophies during the opening months of the season and appeared capable of extending one of the most dominant eras in the game’s history.

However, the final weeks before the summer break exposed several cracks in that seemingly invincible structure. Vitality’s defeat at the IEM Cologne Major and a shocking early exit from BLAST Bounty Season 2 have transformed the second half of 2026 from a potential victory lap into a genuine test of resilience.

The question is no longer whether Vitality possess enough talent to win. The question is whether they can rediscover their ruthless consistency before their rivals close the gap.

A Remarkable Start to 2026

Vitality’s opening half of the year was extraordinary. They won IEM Kraków, PGL Cluj-Napoca, BLAST Open Rotterdam, IEM Rio and BLAST Rivals Season 1. Their triumph at BLAST Rivals represented their fifth consecutive title of the season, achieved with a 3-0 victory over NAVI in the grand final.

These were not victories produced by one player carrying four passengers. ZywOo remained the team’s most important individual—his 1.66 rating in the IEM Kraków final against FURIA demonstrated the level he can reach—but Vitality’s greatest strength was the number of different ways in which they could win.

Robin “ropz” Kool provided calm decision-making and late-round excellence. Shahar “flameZ” Shushan supplied aggression and opening kills. William “mezii” Merriman continued to perform several difficult roles without requiring the team to be built around him. Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, meanwhile, combined emotional leadership with a system capable of creating opportunities for every member of the lineup.

At IEM Rio, Vitality defeated Spirit 3-0 in the final and became the first team to win two ESL Grand Slams. That achievement reinforced the idea that this roster was not simply enjoying a temporary run of form. It was building a historical legacy.

Cologne Changed the Conversation

The IEM Cologne Major was supposed to be another defining chapter in Vitality’s era. Instead, it provided evidence that the world’s best teams had begun identifying weaknesses in their game.

Vitality suffered an unexpected group-stage defeat against 9z, appearing unusually disjointed during parts of the series. They recovered sufficiently to reach the playoffs, but Falcons eliminated them 2-1 in the quarterfinals, ending Vitality’s attempt to win a third consecutive Major.

The identity of their conquerors was especially significant. The Cologne result gave Falcons four consecutive victories over Vitality, making them the clearest tactical and psychological obstacle facing apEX’s team. Falcons’ combination of m0NESY, NiKo and kyousuke gives them enough individual firepower to challenge Vitality directly rather than merely attempting to contain ZywOo.

Vitality’s first appearance after the player break created further concern. A rebuilt Liquid side, ranked considerably below them before the match, defeated Vitality 2-0 in the opening round of BLAST Bounty Season 2. The result ended Vitality’s 24-event playoff streak, which had lasted since ropz joined the organization in January 2025.

One online defeat should not be exaggerated. Nevertheless, when combined with the Cologne disappointment, it suggests that Vitality cannot expect their early-season dominance to resume automatically.

Why Vitality Can Still Prevail

The strongest argument in Vitality’s favour is that their fundamental structure remains intact. The lineup of apEX, ZywOo, flameZ, mezii and ropz still contains an almost ideal combination of leadership, mechanical ability, experience and role balance. Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam also remains in charge of a coaching system that has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to prepare the team for major events.

ZywOo is another decisive advantage. Even when Vitality’s overall performance falls below expectations, they possess a player capable of transforming a close playoff series through individual brilliance. Few opponents can match Vitality’s potential when ZywOo and ropz are both performing at their highest level.

The team has also shown remarkable mental strength. In the BLAST Rivals final, Vitality recovered after falling 11-0 behind NAVI on Nuke and eventually completed a 3-0 series victory. That comeback illustrated why defeating Vitality requires more than securing an early advantage. Opponents must maintain their discipline until the final round.

Most importantly, Vitality do not require a roster reconstruction. Their problems appear related to form, preparation and adaptation rather than a fundamental lack of quality. The summer break offered apEX and XTQZZZ an opportunity to refresh the team’s map pool, study the Falcons matchup and develop new variations before the most important tournaments of the year.

The Challenges Ahead

Vitality will face a demanding schedule. The Counter-Strike tournament at the Esports World Cup concludes in Paris between August 19 and August 23, while ESL Pro League Season 24 will be staged in Katowice from October 3 to October 11. The season ultimately builds toward the PGL Major Singapore, scheduled from November 25 to December 13 with 32 teams competing for the year’s final Major title.

The challenge will not simply be winning one of these events. To truly “prevail,” Vitality must demonstrate that the losses to Falcons, 9z and Liquid were interruptions rather than the beginning of a decline.

Their rivals now possess extensive footage of Vitality’s preferred setups, rotations and late-round tendencies. Teams are likely to target apEX’s calling, deny flameZ early openings and force ZywOo into uncomfortable retakes. Vitality therefore need greater unpredictability, especially on their weaker maps and T sides.

Fatigue could also become a factor. Vitality have played deep into almost every major tournament since the beginning of 2025. Maintaining emotional intensity across such an extended period is extremely difficult, particularly for a team that enters every event as the opponent everyone wants to defeat.

The Verdict

Vitality should still be considered one of the favourites to control the second half of 2026. Their five-player lineup remains arguably the most complete in professional Counter-Strike, and their first-half trophy collection cannot be dismissed because of two disappointing results.

However, their dominance is no longer guaranteed.

Falcons have discovered a repeatable method of beating them. Spirit, NAVI, FURIA and other elite teams remain capable of punishing any decline in preparation. Even a newly rebuilt Liquid demonstrated that reputation alone will not carry Vitality through the opening rounds of an event.

The most reasonable prediction is that Vitality will win another major international trophy before the end of the season and arrive at the Singapore Major among the leading contenders. Whether they finish 2026 as the undisputed best team in the world will depend on their response to adversity.

The first half of the year proved that Vitality can dominate when everything is working. The second half will reveal something more important: whether this roster can evolve when the rest of the scene begins fighting back.