FaZe Ropz set to join Team Vitality for 2025
Estonian Counter-Strike star Robin "ropz" Kool is reportedly set to join Team Vitality after three successful years with FaZe Clan. Unnamed sources have revealed to HLTV and Guillaume 'neL' Rathier that the 23-year-old rifler has agreed personal terms with the French organization, with an official announcement expected soon.
ropz is slated to replace Lotan "Spinx" Giladi, who has been linked with a potential transfer since Vitality's head coach Rémy "XTQZZZ" Quoniam revealed Spinx’s desire to explore new opportunities earlier this year.
ropz Leaves FaZe Clan on a High Note
Having joined FaZe in January 2022, ropz saw remarkable success, including seven LAN titles, an Intel Grand Slam victory, and the PGL Antwerp Major trophy. Individually, ropz has been a part of the HLTV Top 20 consecutively for the last 6 years. He achieved his career-best rankings with a 3rd place in 2023.
FaZe Clan wins PGL Major Antwerp 2022 (Image Source: João Ferreira/PGL)However, FaZe struggled in 2024, winning only one tournament, IEM Chengdu, and finishing as runners-up in three others. Although ropz wasn’t in his best form throughout the year, his performances did help FaZe Clan go all the way to the Grand Finals of the Shanghai Major, where they eventually lost out to Team Spirit. The Estonian managed to amass a 1.21 rating at the Major, the highest among his teammates. His departure signals the end of an era for FaZe and poses significant challenges for the team heading into 2025.
Vitality’s Revamped Roster
With ropz’s arrival, Vitality’s lineup is set to feature:
- Dan "apEX" Madesclaire
- Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut
- Shahar "flameZ" Shushan
- William "mezii" Merriman
- Robin "ropz" Kool
Rémy "XTQZZZ" Quoniam remains as Head Coach.
While ropz's arrival adds firepower to Vitality, it raises questions about his role within the team. He predominantly plays the same CT positions as mezii and flameZ, as well as overlapping T-side roles with mezii. This overlap will likely force the team to adapt their strategies and experiment with new configurations to maximize their potential.
Fans eagerly await Vitality's official announcement and the start of this new chapter in competitive Counter-Strike.
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Featured Image Credit: HLTV
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