by Team Vitality have cemented their status as the best Counter-Strike 2 team in the world with a dominant 3-0 victory over MOUZ in the ESL Pro League Season 21 grand final.
The European squad made short work of their opponents, sweeping them aside on Dust2 (13-9), Nuke (13-4), and Inferno (13-5) to claim their second ‘Big Event’ title of 2025.
This triumph puts Vitality just one tournament victory away from securing the Intel Grand Slam and the coveted US$1,000,000 prize, having already won IEM Cologne 2024 and IEM Katowice 2025.
That's another trophy for @TeamVitalityCS in 2025 secured! ??#ESLProLeague pic.twitter.com/FIPRwdAJOQ
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 16, 2025
With five events left to seal the deal, their first opportunity comes at IEM Melbourne in April.
The series started on Dust2, where Vitality’s game plan of exploiting the B site paid off handsomely.
Early aggression against Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo saw them storm to a 9-3 lead, with the Finnish rifler struggling to make an impact.
MOUZ fought back in the second half, but the deficit was too much to overturn, and Vitality closed out the map 13-9.
On Nuke, Vitality kept their foot on the gas, dominating the early duels and converting key clutch rounds to establish a commanding 9-3 halftime lead.
A swift second-half pistol win all but sealed the deal, with the map ending 13-4.
Inferno was even more lopsided, as MOUZ’s questionable counter-terrorist side decisions allowed Vitality to take a six-round lead by halftime.
The gap proved insurmountable, and a flawless second half from the Dan “apEX” Madesclaire-led squad resulted in a crushing 13-5 victory, ending MOUZ’s previously unblemished record in ESL Pro League finals.
Unlike previous events, where Vitality heavily leant on Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and Shahar “flameZ” Shushan for firepower, this was a complete team performance.
ROBIN "EPL" KOOL @ropz ??
Check out the #ESLProLeague S21 #ESLProTour DHL MVP's best moments from the tournament!@DeutschePostDHL pic.twitter.com/VsmTl78009
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 16, 2025
Robin “ropz” Kool, their newest addition, shone brightly and was named the tournament MVP, proving his worth as a game-changing signing.
“It’s a great team to play with. I’m happy to have these four guys to extend my career a bit longer,” Vitality’s in-game leader Dan “apEX” Madesclaire said post-match, reflecting on their meteoric rise.
For MOUZ, this was a harsh reality check.
Despite an impressive run to the final, they struggled to match Vitality’s intensity.
Head coach Dennis “sycrone” Nielsen admitted their shortcomings: “It felt like we lost every anti-force buy. That was a bit of a shame. But we can’t take anything away from the last three months. We’re clearly not all the way there yet.”
With back-to-back grand final appearances, MOUZ remain a serious contender in the tier-one scene.
They’ll have a chance to bounce back at BLAST Open Lisbon, which begins on Wednesday, March 19.
For Vitality, the path to glory continues.
The Intel Grand Slam is within touching distance, and if their current form is anything to go by, it feels more like a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ they will complete the feat.
Their next test awaits at IEM Melbourne, where they’ll look to further solidify their legacy in Counter-Strike history.
