Team Vitality cemented their dominance with a 3-0 sweep over Natus Vincere in the Grand Final of BLAST Open Rotterdam. While lifting another tier-one trophy is becoming a routine for the international squad, this particular victory came with a historic milestone. Robin “ropz” Kool was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, becoming the very first player in a Vitality jersey other than Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut to claim the prestigious award.
Following the victory, Vitality’s in-game leader and captain, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, spoke about the team’s relentless expectations, their preparation for upcoming events, and his pride in seeing a new face take home the MVP medal.
A historic milestone for the roster
For years, ZywOo has been the undisputed star of Vitality, sweeping up every MVP award the organization has earned. However, ropz’s standout performance in the Grand Final against NAVI finally broke that streak, showcasing the sheer depth of talent currently housed within the team.
When asked about a player other than ZywOo finally securing the MVP for Vitality, apEX was quick to validate the decision.
It should have happened,” apEX stated. “Robin had an insane final and he deserved that MVP. I am proud of him. I am proud of my team in general. Everyone does so well. Everyone does their best all the time, and I expect that from them.
Managing unforgiving expectations
Despite the dominant 3-0 scoreline against their regional rivals, apEX admitted that wearing the Vitality jersey comes with an immense amount of pressure. The community and the players themselves expect nothing less than perfection, which makes every grand final a high-stakes mental battle.
We are always a bit under pressure because we are Vitality and everyone expects us to win,” the French captain explained. “If you lose, it is a fail. We lost two finals last year. I think we played 14 finals together, and we won 12. It is a pretty good result, to be honest.
Interestingly, apEX revealed that peaking at BLAST Open Rotterdam was not actually the primary objective for the squad. Instead, the team used the event to fine-tune their strategies and mental fortitude ahead of the upcoming tournament in Brazil, where Vitality can win their second Intel Grand Slam as the first team in the history of CS.
Coming to this tournament was not the main goal to win,” apEX noted. “We prepare for Rio, but winning is always cool, so we do not complain. We need to be better with the pressure overall, and it is going to be a good preparation for Rio for sure.
With another trophy added to their cabinet and a historic MVP performance from ropz, Vitality looks poised to remain the undisputed team to beat as the Counter-Strike calendar moves forward.
