Is Team Vitality unbeatable? Dissecting the birth of a dynasty

At the start of 2025, the rumor of Robin "ropz" Kool joining Team Vitality took the Counter-Strike world by storm. Once the move was confirmed, the question was no longer if the new Team Vitality would be good, but rather how good they would be.

Fast forward to April 1st, and the team have now successfully asserted their dominance over the scene. Not only is Team Vitality one of the strongest teams in Counter-Strike, but they have also translated their on-paper potential into tangible success.

With each event, the team has become more solid, more composed, and more synergized. If no external issues arise, Team Vitality could very well be on their way to becoming one of the greatest Counter-Strike teams of all time.

Team Vitality’s Dominance in Numbers

Since ropz joined the roster, Team Vitality has played a total of 47 maps, winning 39 of them. Their only series loss came at BLAST Bounty, their first event together, where they fell 0-2 to Eternal Fire. Since that loss, they have yet to drop a series.

Vitality are currently on a 16-match win streak, and have secured victory in three of the four tournaments they have competed in to start the year.

Team Vitality Map Win rate (credits: Strafe)

Breaking down their performance map by map, their strongest map is Inferno, where they boast a 100% win rate, followed by Dust 2 at 90%. That said, they are also an incredibly strong team on Nuke. And while their 100% win rate on Train may look great at first glance, the truth is Vitality have only played the map once in 2025 so far.

Their numerically weakest map is Anubis with a 62.5% win rate. After losing the map during the start of the year, they have made significant improvements, recently dismantling Team Spirit on the map, showcasing their ability to address problems and improve.

Currently, the weakest link in their map pool is Mirage, a map where they often rely on individual brilliance rather than structured teamplay to win rounds. The only map they do not play at all is Ancient, which they perma-ban.

From a statistical standpoint, Team Vitality wins 60% of pistol rounds, and their average round win percentage on both CT and T sides stands at 60%. Their ability to convert a first-kill advantage into a round win is an impressive 77.57%, demonstrating their capacity to exploit favorable positions.

Team Vitality's dominance by numbers (credits: Strafe)

Even when they are at a disadvantage, they remain a significant threat, winning 37% of their 4v5 situations. Additionally, they are the best team in the world at winning eco and bonus rounds, making them a statistical powerhouse in 2025.

What Makes Them So Good?

Team Vitality boasts some of the best players in the world, each excelling in their respective roles. Their star, ZywOo, is one of the most dominant players in modern Counter-Strike, capable of excelling with both rifles and the AWP. ApEX, their in-game leader, is not only a brilliant tactician, but still a strong fragger.

Mezii, “ the English Playa”, has been a reliable anchor for the team, consistently clutching crucial rounds. FlameZ has also stepped up, delivering more consistent performances. Then there’s ropz, arguably the best lurker in the game. His immaculate sense of timing and space has had an immediate and visible impact on the team.

However, the biggest factor behind Vitality’s success is the tactical flexibility provided by apEX and coach XTQZZZ. While ZywOo remains the team’s superstar, the roster is not built around him; instead, every player is empowered to excel in their role.

For example, ropz thrives when given the freedom to create openings without being forced into rigid executes. apEX and XTQZZZ recognize this and allow him to dissect the opponent’s defense on his own terms, rather than making him play around ZywOo.

A perfect example of this was Round 5 of the BLAST Open Spring Lisbon Grand Finals Map 2. After securing an opening kill, Team Vitality identified that only a single defender remained on B. While the team applied pressure in mid, ropz lurked into B, exploiting the defense.

As a result, ropz perfectly timed his maneuver around the B main smoke, catching Jimpphat off guard and securing full control of the site. While this particular play had an obvious impact on the round, his influence is often more subtle, affecting the game over a longer period of time.

This tactical philosophy extends to the rest of the roster as well. Mezii and FlameZ are also given the freedom to make plays, which in turn boosts their confidence and overall impact.

Furthermore, Team Vitality’s fundamentals are rock solid. Their ability to defend and retake bomb sites is exceptional, and they rarely repeat mistakes. To defeat them, teams must constantly innovate, identify the smallest of gaps in their setup, and then win aim duels against some of the best players in the world.

Is Team Vitality Unbeatable?

The short answer is no—but beating them is incredibly difficult. They recover from setbacks quickly, have players who can perform under any conditions, and continuously refine their strategies. All that being said, they are not invincible, as MOUZ demonstrated at BLAST Open Spring Lisbon.

MOUZ won two maps against Vitality by the slimmest of margins. They secured Mirage by capitalizing on Vitality’s early-round mistakes and held off a comeback attempt. On Dust 2, Brollan’s strategic calling outmaneuvered apEX, allowing MOUZ to take the map.

And yet, Team Vitality quickly adapted. In the following two maps, they made minimal mistakes, controlled the pace, and dominated MOUZ to secure the series victory and third consecutive trophy.

To defeat Team Vitality, opponents must shut down their playstyle, exploit gaps in their defense, and outclass them in both consistency and adaptability. However, that is easier said than done. So far in 2025, no team has consistently managed to crack the code against Team Vitality.

For now, every match is Vitality’s to lose. Challenging them is one thing—beating them is an entirely different challenge.

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Featured Image Credits: Diana Duarte // BLAST

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