Vitality Secures Team of the Year Honors for 2023 in Dominant Fashion

Vitality, led by Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut, emerged as the undisputed Team of the Year for 2023, surpassing competitors FaZe and G2. Their remarkable trophy collection included victories at the BLAST.tv Paris Major, Gamers8, IEM Rio, BLAST Fall Final, and BLAST World Final, showcasing unparalleled dominance throughout the year.

Notably, Vitality achieved this remarkable feat despite undergoing significant changes, with the replacements of Peter "⁠dupreeh⁠" Rasmussen and Emil "⁠Magisk⁠" Reif, along with coach Danny "⁠zonic⁠" Sørensen. The team's statistical prowess was equally impressive, leading in Round win percentage (56.3%), 4vs5 conversion (53.4%), CT-round wins (57%), and T-round wins (55.5%).

Their journey began with solid performances at IEM Katowice (5-6th) and ESL Pro League S17 (5-8th), laying the groundwork for their subsequent success. Vitality reached the finals of three events before the summer break, securing victories at IEM Rio and the BLAST.tv Paris Major, while finishing as the runner-up at BLAST Premier Spring Final 2023.

During the summer break, the addition of Shahar "⁠flameZ⁠" Shushan, replacing dupreeh, contributed to another strong season start. Notable achievements included a semi-final appearance at IEM Cologne and a 5-8th place finish at ESL Pro League Season 18, alongside their Gamers8 victory, showcasing Vitality's consistent top-tier performance leading up to CS2's release.

Although facing an initial setback at IEM Sydney, Vitality made a stunning comeback after recruiting William "⁠mezii⁠" Merriman and Rémy "⁠XTQZZZ⁠" Quoniam to replace Magisk and zonic. The year concluded with dominant triumphs at BLAST Fall Final and BLAST World Final, securing the latter without dropping a single map and solidifying their No.1 spot in the world rankings.