British rifler William "mezii" Merriman has officially returned to Team Vitality's starting lineup at the StarSeries Fall tournament after missing BLAST Open Porto due to the birth of his second child. The return proved successful: the team secured a convincing victory over FURIA and booked a spot in the upper bracket final, showcasing the dominant form that characterized their start of the year.
In a post-match interview with HLTV, the player admitted that watching matches from home while looking after a toddler was incredibly difficult. Despite a mild cold and feeling a bit "rusty" after the break, mezii is happy to rejoin the team. He highlighted the strategic importance of the victory over FURIA, as advancing through the upper bracket allows them to avoid exhausting elimination matches.
The current season has become a period of forced roster rotations for Vitality. After playing with jL as a stand-in at the previous event, the team faces another temporary change: in October, captain Dan "apEX" Madesclaire will miss PGL Masters Bucharest in preparation for fatherhood. As an experienced dad, mezii advised the captain to accept fatigue as the "new normal," but expressed confidence that apEX will handle this challenge perfectly.
The team's key priority for this season remains preparing for the Major in Singapore, especially after a disappointing loss to the champions, Falcons, in Cologne. According to mezii, despite the chaotic schedule and substitutions, the core five has not lost its winning mentality. The team intends to make the most of the tournaments where they compete with their full roster to secure VRS points, win trophies, and dispel any doubts regarding their ability to win at the highest level.
As a reminder, flameZ: "We believe we can get back to our best form"
