Following their first victory over magic at the StarLadder StarSeries Fall tournament and advancing to the upper bracket semi-final, Vitality player Shahar "flameZ" Shushan opened up about the team's current challenges. The squad is being forced to adapt to an unstable roster due to new additions to players' families, yet they maintain maximum focus on preparing for the Major.
This season has been accompanied by significant roster difficulties. Vitality already played without William "mezii" Merriman at the event in Porto, and soon Dan "apEX" Madesclaire will miss the PGL tournament series, also due to the birth of a child. jL is stepping in as a temporary stand-in. According to flameZ, this seriously complicates the practice process: players have to get used to new positions, and mezii will have to take over in-game leader duties in place of apEX.
Playing with constant roster changes forces Vitality to abandon complex tactical playbooks and focus on the basic aspects of Counter-Strike, particularly reliable trades. At the same time, Shushan notes jL's positive impact: the player has brought fresh energy, a positive atmosphere, and an atypically active playstyle to the team, which the squad is having to adapt to.
Despite a dip in results following their dominance and Major victory in 2025, the players fully trust the current lineup. The team's main goal is returning to high-quality Counter-Strike, not just chasing trophies. Vitality's priority is to qualify for Stage 3 at the upcoming Major. flameZ emphasizes that a triumph at the Valve tournament would fully make up for all the difficulties of the current season.
Although the Vitality players prefer performing on big stages in front of a crowd, the current StarLadder studio event is seen as a crucial opportunity to earn VRS points. The season's hardships have only strengthened the team's motivation: instead of relaxing in individual rounds, as sometimes happened in the past, the team is maximizing its concentration on every in-game moment and working to restore its peak form.
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