Team Vitality lived up to expectations. On Sunday,
the Bees claimed the Austin Major title with a 2-1 win over The MongolZ, a match in which they entered as overwhelming favorites. The world’s number one
Counter-Strike team once again asserted its dominance in 2025,
capturing a seventh straight title and notching
their 36th win in their last 37 matches. This also marks their second Major victory, following their win in Paris in 2023.
Yet the series didn’t begin smoothly. In a packed Moody Center overwhelmingly backing the Mongolian underdogs — eager to see David topple Goliath — the Hive was shaken early on Mirage. Led by Dan “apEX” Madesclaire —
who fully embraced his role as the tournament’s pantomime villain, drawing boos from the crowd with a grin — Vitality was caught off guard by The MongolZ’s surgical coordination and razor-sharp aim. The French team dropped the opening map 5-13, unleashing a wave of euphoria in the crowd and among the thousands watching back home on giant screens — despite the match starting at 4 a.m. local time in Ulaanbaatar.
But as is often the case when their backs are against the wall, this version of Vitality responded. On Dust2, Shahar "flameZ" Shushan rediscovered form on his birthday, but it was William "mezii" Merriman who truly stood out, racking up 20 kills and a 1.91 rating. With a commanding 13-4 response, Vitality leveled the series and forced a decider on Inferno. There, French fans had reason for concern, given the team’s unsteady performances on the map throughout the tournament — particularly the 4-13 loss to MOUZ the previous day.
apEX, a captain at his finest
This time, however, Vitality quickly found their rhythm. Despite losing the pistol round, the French side strung together a series of solid CT rounds to build an early 5-1 lead. They never relinquished control, rallying behind a masterful performance from their captain, who decisively rose to the occasion and was later named player of the match for his exceptional showing on Inferno. With the score at 12-3, the outcome appeared inevitable.
Although Vitality stumbled slightly, conceding three rounds, it was their star player, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, who closed out the series. While the AWPer didn’t deliver the most dominant final of his career, he nonetheless earned his 27th career MVP award — his second in a Major — with an overall rating of 1.42.
With this second Major — and a third for apEX, who now boasts 33 career titles, a record — Vitality becomes one of the few organizations to have, alongside NAVI, Fnatic, and Astralis. Since the arrival of Robin "ropz" Kool, this roster has made a compelling case for being the greatest five-man lineup in the game’s history. The team will now take a month-long break before returning to defend their crown at IEM Cologne, which kicks off on July 23. But regardless of what unfolds in Germany, 2025 already belongs to Vitality.
Header Photo Credit: BLAST
