Vitality delivered a commanding performance against NAVI to secure a 2-0 win and a place in the Semi-Final at the BLAST.tv Austin Major. The victory came in front of a loud and passionate Texas crowd that didn’t hold back with the boos, many of them directed at Vitality’s fiery in-game leader Dan “apEX” Madesclaire. But for William “mezii” Merriman, the noise only made the moment better.

“It’s really fun,” mezii told Pley.gg after the match. “Every time you hear them booing or you see apEX taunting the crowd, it just makes me laugh. I say keep it coming, it’s great to play in front of them.”

A Key Figure in Vitality’s Win

It wasn’t just the crowd that mezii responded to. His in-game performance was just as sharp. The British rifler played a pivotal role in the win, securing key multi-kills, closing rounds, and even clutching on Mirage when NAVI were threatening a comeback.

“As a player, you just want to contribute and not bring the team down,” mezii said. “Whether it’s clutches, communication, or multi-kill rounds, it felt good to be able to help the team today.”

mezii nearly topped the scoreboard on both maps, and fittingly closed the series with a crisp headshots in the final round on Nuke.

“It’s cool to finish a game like that, especially in front of a big crowd,” he said. “It doesn’t always happen, so I’m happy I could help the team move forward.”

Eyes on MOUZ

Vitality now shift their focus to Saturday’s Semi-Final, where they will face MOUZ, a team they have already beaten in two grand finals this year.

“They’re going to be fired up. We’ve beaten them a lot this year, and they’ll want revenge, especially here at a Major,” mezii said. “But for us, it’s just about staying focused and doing what we’ve done all year.”

You can see the entire interview down below.