Team Vitality is one of the most renowned European esports organizations, founded in 2013 in Paris. From its inception, the club has grown steadily, fielding teams across several disciplines, including Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Vitality Valorant, Rocket League, FIFA, StarCraft II, and others.
Team Vitality History
Team Vitality is one of the most well-known and successful organizations in the world of esports, especially in the discipline of Counter-Strike. Founded in France in 2013, the team quickly established itself as a serious competitor on the international stage. Since its inception, Vitality has consistently strengthened its position by attracting talented players and achieving significant results at major tournaments. Over the years, the team has participated in numerous championships, including ESL One, DreamHack, and Major tournaments, becoming a symbol of high-level play and professionalism within the CS:GO community.
Team Vitality Founders
The founders of Team Vitality are Fabien "Neo" Devide, Nicolas Maurer, Corentin "Gotaga" Houssein, and Kevin "BrokyBrawks" Georges.
Fabien Devide, also known as "Neo," is the president of the organization and is actively involved in the strategic development of the club, especially in the areas of esports, marketing, and community engagement.
Nicolas Maurer serves as the CEO and co-founder of Team Vitality. He is responsible for the strategic leadership and development of the club, as well as establishing partnerships with major companies.
Corentin Houssein, known as "Gotaga," is a well-known French streamer and content creator who also played an important role in the creation and growth of Team Vitality.
Kevin Georges, known as "BrokyBrawks," was also one of the co-founders and actively participated in the establishment of the club.
Team Vitality Initial Roster
The first CS:GO roster of Team Vitality was unveiled on October 8, 2018. The French organization announced the formation of its CS:GO team, bringing together five players who had previously competed for other squads. The lineup was as follows:
- apEX (Dan Madesclaire)
- NBK- (Nathan Schmitt)
- Happy (Vincent Schopenhauer)
- RpK (Cédric Guipouy)
- ZywOo (Mathieu Herbaut)
The team’s coach was faculty (Philippe Rodier), a former Counter-Strike 1.6 player.
This roster became the foundation for Team Vitality’s further development in the CS:GO scene. The team achieved significant success, including victories at DreamHack Open Atlanta 2018 and EPICENTER 2019, as well as participation in major tournaments. Although the roster underwent changes over time, it was this lineup that marked the beginning of Vitality’s rise in esports.
Team Vitality match results and achievements in 2025
As of early 2025, the Franco-international lineup of Team Vitality includes the following players:
- apEX (Dan Madesclaire) – The team’s in-game leader and strategist, at the helm since 2018. He continues to guide Vitality to new heights, including victories at IEM Cologne 2024 and IEM Katowice 2025.
- ZywOo (Mathieu Herbaut) – The legendary AWPer, recognized as the world’s best player in 2019, 2020, and 2023. In 2025, he achieved a remarkable streak of MVP awards at IEM Katowice, ESL Pro League Season 21, BLAST Open Lisbon, IEM Melbourne, BLAST Rivals, and IEM Dallas.
- flameZ (Shahar Shushan) – A strong defensive player from Israel who joined in June 2023. In 2025, he provides consistency in the rifler/anchor role.
- mezii (William Merriman) – The British rifler has been with the team since 2023. After the departure of Magisk, he quickly adapted and has played a vital role in the team’s success, including a long winning streak.
- ropz (Robin Kool) – The Estonian rifler signed with Vitality on January 10, 2025. Known for his precise aim and tactical instincts, he previously won the PGL Major Antwerp with FaZe and an Intel Grand Slam. In his first month with Vitality, he helped secure wins at IEM Katowice 2025, ESL Pro League Season 21, BLAST Open Lisbon, and IEM Melbourne 2025, completing the ESL Grand Slam Season 5.
Coaching Staff:
- XTQZZZ (Rémy Quoniam) – Head coach since October 2023, he also previously led the team between 2018 and 2021.
- MaT (Mathieu Leber) – Assistant coach with the team since January 2020.
In 2025, Vitality continued competing at the highest level. Below are some of the most notable Vitality results:
- IEM Katowice 2025 – 1st place, $400,000 in prize money.
- IEM Melbourne 2025 – 1st place, $125,000 in prize money.
- IEM Dallas 2025 – 1st place, $125,000 in prize money.
At the moment, Team Vitality is the strongest team in Counter-Strike 2, consistently defeating all opponents and winning every tournament in their path. Their dominance is clearly reflected in recent CS2 matches, where they continue to showcase top-tier performance against the toughest competition.
Team Vitality Former Players
Over the years, Team Vitality has featured a range of talented players who have contributed to the organization’s legacy:
- NBK- (Nathan Schmitt) – One of the founding members of Vitality's early CS:GO roster, NBK- brought leadership and experience before moving on to OG and other projects.
- RpK (Cédric Guipouy) – Known as "The Tank," RpK was a reliable rifler who played a pivotal role in Vitality’s rise in European CS:GO.
- shox (Richard Papillon) – A legendary figure in French CS, shox brought flair and experience during his time with Vitality from 2019 to 2021.
- Kyojin (Jayson Nguyen Van) – A young rifler who had a brief stint with Vitality in 2021, showing promise in high-level competition.
- misutaaa (Kévin Rabier) – Joined as a young prospect in 2020 and gained valuable experience on the international stage before moving to Falcons.
- Alex (Alex McMeekin) – The British in-game leader who captained the team during their early international successes, before departing for Cloud9.
Team Vitality Legends
Some iconic players helped define Team Vitality legacy:
- ZywOo (Mathieu Herbaut) Joining Team Vitality in late 2018, ZywOo quickly became the cornerstone of the roster. As a prodigious French AWPer and rifler, he earned the title of the best player in the world by HLTV in both 2019 and 2020 — a rare achievement for someone so early in their career. ZywOo’s explosive performances were instrumental in Vitality’s victories at tournaments like EPICENTER 2019 and BLAST Premier: Fall 2020. His mechanical precision, calm demeanor, and ability to deliver in clutch moments elevated Vitality to elite status. In 2023, with the transition to CS2 underway, ZywOo continued his dominance, helping Vitality claim the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 — the first and only Major ever held in France. His consistency and impact have made him a living legend of the organization.
- apEX (Dan Madesclaire) As one of the original members and long-time in-game leader, apEX played a crucial role in Vitality’s structure and growth. Known for his aggressive entry style in earlier years and later for his leadership, apEX was the tactical backbone during their peak periods. He captained the squad through roster rebuilds, LAN droughts, and eventually to their Paris Major win in 2023, where he became one of the few French players to lift a Major trophy on home soil.
- shox (Richard Papillon) An icon of French Counter-Strike, shox brought veteran experience and unmatched clutch instincts to Team Vitality from 2019 to 2021. Though his time on the roster was marked by ups and downs, he played a key role in building team chemistry and helping young stars like ZywOo grow into their roles. During his tenure, Vitality remained a top contender in the global rankings and reached numerous playoff stages in S-tier events.
Team Vitality Tournament Achievements
Throughout their history, Team Vitality has participated in a large number of tournaments. While they managed to win some of them, they fell just short at others. Here, we’d like to highlight only the most notable ones.
Date | Placement | Tier | Type | Game | Organizer | Tournament | Result | Opponent | Prize |
2025-02-09 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Counter-Strike 2 | Intel Extreme Masters | Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025 | 3: 0 | Team Spirit | $400,000 |
2024-08-18 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Counter-Strike 2 | Intel Extreme Masters | Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2024 | 3: 1 | Natus Vincere | $400,000 |
2023-12-17 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Counter-Strike 2 | BLAST Premier | BLAST Premier: World Final 2023 | 2: 0 | FaZe Clan | $500,000 |
2023-11-26 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Counter-Strike 2 | BLAST Premier | BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2023 | 2: 0 | FaZe Clan | $200,000 |
2023-08-20 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Global Offensive | Gamers8 2023 | Gamers8 2023 | 2: 1 | ENCE | $400,000 |
2023-05-21 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Global Offensive | BLAST.tv | BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 | 2: 0 | GamerLegion | $500,000 |
2022-10-02 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Global Offensive | ESL Pro League | ESL Pro League Season 16 | 3: 2 | Team Liquid | $200,000 |
2020-12-13 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Global Offensive | BLAST Premier | BLAST Premier: Fall 2020 | 2:1 | Astralis | $225,000 |
2019-12-22 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Global Offensive | EPICENTER | EPICENTER 2019 | 2: 1 | mousesports | $250,000 |
2019-06-09 | 1st | S-Tier | Offline | Global Offensive | Esports Championship Series | Esports Championship Series Season 7 - Finals | 2: 0 | FURIA Esports | |
Upcoming Team Vitality Tournaments
Team Vitality consistently competes in Tier-1 tournaments such as ESL, IEM, and Majors. The current roster is performing well against the best teams in the world, and although they are still far from reaching the top spot, Team Vitality cannot be considered an easy opponent. Fans searching for Team Vitality CS2 next match details or checking Vitality upcoming matches can expect them to appear in nearly every major event. Vitality matches are widely followed, and you can be sure that they will participate in all upcoming Tier-1 CS2 events. Supporters can follow every moment on the official CS2 stream platforms.
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