Olivia R. February 6, 2019
Team Vitality has achieved another victory after winning WePlay! Lock and Load.
The French team dominated in the grand finals, defeating HellRaisers 2-0. The teams first faced off on Cache, where Vitality closed out the map 16-10 after picking up nine of the first 11 rounds played in the second half. Vitality and HellRaisers then went to Dust2, where Vitality didn’t lose a single round as Counter-Terrorists. The French side won the map the map easily, 16-7.
This came after an impressive semifinal match where Vitality defeated OpTic Gaming 2-0.
Vitality went home not only with $25,000, but also with a sense of redemption.
A week earlier, Team Vitality had struggled in the first Intel Extreme Masters XIV: European Open Qualifier. The result was a disappointment for a team that had made the finals at DreamHack Open Atlanta in November.
That win took place one month after the Vitality organization entered Counter-Strike. The CS:GO team was formed in October with the signing of a roster including former Team Envy stalwart Cedric “RpK” Guipouy and rising star Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut. Nathan “NBK” Schmitt, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, and Alex “ALEX” McMeekin round out the squad.
“France has always been a force to be reckoned with on Counter-Strike through the ages, and the French esport community is very strong on CS:GO,” said Team Vitality. “We’re proud to have the opportunity to raise that French flag again.”
The signing also represented a fresh start for some members of the roster. NBK was benched on G2 before the move.
“I have a new perspective. I see energy and wisdom in the faces around me. A family. I’m not perfect, but I won’t give up. Everything is possible together,” said NBK.