Can Vitality defend their BLAST World Final title?

Team Vitality will enter the last BLAST Premier World Final 2024 as the defending champion after their victory over FaZe Clan in last year’s iteration of the event. However, does Vitality have what it takes to continue their reign, or will another team take the crown in Sentosa, Singapore?

There are many factors that add into the hornets’ odds including their current form and participating teams. During the 2023 World Final, Vitality were the favorites in a pool of overall mediocre teams such as Cloud9, ENCE and Heroic. However, this time around, the battle for glory will be tougher with Natus Vincere dominating the scene, clinching four titles out of six consecutive grand finals this year.

All that in addition to Vitality’s internal issues with William "mezii" Merriman according to multiple leaks can be the difference maker in Singapore, though you should take it with a pinch of salt as the organization is yet to confirm or deny the rumors.

With that said, here’s why we expect Vitality to fail in BLAST Premier World Final 2024.

Vitality in 2023 vs. 2024

Vitality’s players boast similar stats compared to last year with Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut leading the pack as the highest rated player in the team, and mezii relatively seeing some form of improvements stats wise. Yet, the French superstar still serves as a double-edged sword with Vitality’s failure often coming on the back of his decline in performance on certain maps.

For instance, in the grand final of IEM Dallas 2024 where Vitality faced G2 Esports, on the decider map of Nuke ZywOo’s impact dipped to 45 ADR and only collecting nine frags. This proved to be detrimental as despite Lotan "Spinx" Giladi and mezii efforts, it wasn’t enough to close the gap, especially on the T side.

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A familiar pattern emerged during the semi-finals of the BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024, where Vitality faced off against G2 once again. In the maps that Vitality won or kept close, it was largely thanks to ZywOo’s impact. However, in matches where they suffered significant defeats, ZywOo often struggled, delivering average performances instead of his usual dominant showings with 20+ kills and high ADR.

This isn’t necessarily a disaster–after all, ZywOo is the star player and the difference-maker for Vitality. However, it does bring to light two significant issues with the current lineup. Firstly, the team's difficulty in compensating for off days when ZywOo isn’t at his peak. Secondly, there’s a noticeable lack of firepower from the rest of the roster, leaving a heavy burden on him to carry the team in crucial matches.

When ZywOo isn't at his peak, the responsibility typically falls on Spinx and flameZ to step up. However, given their specific roles and positions within the team, it's a difficult challenge to consistently deliver game-changing performances under those circumstances.

JACKZ doubles the trouble

Vitality will bring in Audric "⁠JACKZ⁠" Jug as a stand-in for ⁠mezii, who is expecting to become a father. Since leaving G2 in 2022, JACKZ has played for HEET and briefly for TSM, but his recent lack of exposure to high-tier competition could pose challenges for Vitality, particularly in defense.

While JACKZ's extensive experience is undeniable, the World Final features the top-performing teams of the year, making it a tall task for him to step in and effectively replace mezii. Expectations for JACKZ are in fact low since filling such a crucial role in a high-stakes environment won't be easy, ultimately lowering Vitality’s odds in coming up victorious.

"Happy to be able to help the hive again and be back in the LAN environment, ready to give it my all."

- JACKZ

A Higher-Caliber Showdown at the 2024 World Final

The BLAST 2024 World Final has a strong pool of teams capable of upsetting Vitality at any given chance. Although some of the top dogs lost their flair with inconsistent results, others can give the hornets a tough time in Singapore.

Image source: BLAST

Apart from Natus Vincere who’s the first contenders for the title, MOUZ is another strong opponent who previously tamed the Vitality beast on two separate occasions this year; ESL Pro League Season 19 and IEM Rio 2024.

In 2023, only FaZe Clan matched Vitality's caliber, while other contenders like G2, led by Nemanja "nexa" Isaković, were still finding their rhythm, and NAVI was adjusting to a newly-formed roster.

This year, however, brings a different dynamic with the uncertainty surrounding teams like Team Spirit and Astralis. Although expectations for the Russian squad remain cautious, the Danes under Casper "cadiaN" Møller’s leadership are a wildcard If they manage to survive the group stage and Vitality stumbles in the same playoff bracket. With enough time to refine their strategies–unlike their early struggles at events like IEM Rio, where they faced both preparation and health issues–Astralis could stand as a formidable dark horse.

Group B's Finest

Despite doubts surrounding Vitality’s title defense, the team looks set for a promising start in the group stage. They’ve managed to avoid early encounters against powerhouses like NAVI and MOUZ, ensuring that the playoffs will feature intense matchups.

Vitality’s first test pits ZywOo against Spirit’s young prodigy Danil "donk" Kryshkovets. In their last meeting at IEM Dallas, ZywOo delivered a standout performance that led to a dominant win for Vitality. However, Spirit now has an ideal chance to rewrite the script and build momentum before the Perfect World Shanghai Major.

While inconsistency, tougher competition, and a heavy reliance on their star player pose challenges for Vitality, Counter-Strike is always unpredictable. Success can often hinge on the individual performances and resilience of players. With so many unknowns in play, one thing is certain: this tournament promises to be epic, so be sure to catch all the action as it kicks off on October 30th!

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