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Win.gg Counter-Strike Team Vitality IGL apEX returns to CSGO ahead of IEM Katowice 2021

Team Vitality IGL apEX returns to CSGO ahead of IEM Katowice 2021

Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti Published 18/02/2021

Team Vitality’s trusted in-game leader Dan “⁠apEX⁠ Madesclaire returned in time for IEM Katowice 2021.

The organization has announced that its captain will return to action to take part in IEM Katowice 2021. The IGL is coming back from a brief personal break. 

KING @Vitality_apEX is back and ready to play the #IEMKatowice! ???? pic.twitter.com/M5Xgwu695W

— Team Vitality ???? (@TeamVitality) February 18, 2021

Team Vitality’s captain apEX was put on an indefinite break by coach Rémy “⁠XTQZZZ⁠ Quoniam on account of “personal problems.” The player had seemed out of sorts due to collective difficulties within the team according to the coach, and the BLAST Premier Global Finals stream sniping controversy didn’t help matters.

With apEX out of the equation, Vitality flopped in the BLAST Premier Spring Groups and was booted after losses to Complexity and Evil Geniuses. During apEX’s leave, the team had relied entirely upon Nabil “⁠Nivera⁠ Benrlitom as a fifth man, who played select maps for the team across different tournaments. The IGL’s absence was a tough blow for the team and severely impacted its performance. 

apEX comes back for IEM Katowice 2021

apEX returned hours before Vitality’s big match in IEM Katowice 2021 against OG in the opening match of group B. apEX comes back at a good time for Vitality as IEM Katowice 2021 is among the biggest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive events of the year, and Vitality is set to face incredibly stiff competition.

It makes sense for the team to enter the servers with the best players on the active roster. The first match against OG won’t be an easy one for Team Vitality but there aren’t any easy draws in group B, which also includes the now-Finn “karrigan” Andersen-led FaZe Clan, Team Liquid, Ninjas in Pyjamas, FURIA Esports, and defending IEM Katowice champions Natus Vincere. 

Group B’s matches are certainly going to be cutthroat but with apEX back on the roster, Team Vitality’s chances of making a deep run in the competition have definitely increased. 

Fariha Bhatti Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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