apEX: “Astralis' record was 10 trophies in a year and we would love to at least equal them”

apEX: “Astralis' record was 10 trophies in a year and we would love to at least equal them”

Paris, August 13, 2025 — Team Vitality's captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire opened up during the media day ahead of the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals, reflecting on the team's roller-coaster first half of the year—marked by an impressive run of seven consecutive trophies, an ESL Grand Slam victory, and a triumphant performance at the BLAST.tv Austin Major.

Vitality’s unbeaten streak reached a staggering 37 series wins in a row at IEM Cologne, before being snapped in the semi-final by MOUZ. “It was painful for us, and we don’t want to live that again,” apEX admitted.

He elaborated on how the team recalibrated following the passage of Boston: “We’ve set up new goals. One of them was winning Cologne, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. We were thinking that if we win Cologne, maybe we could think about the second Grand Slam … Now it’s difficult because even if we win Pro League, we’ll need to win Krakow, so it’s not in our heads, but winning trophies… I know Astralis’ record was 10 trophies in a year, out of 19, I think, and we would love to at least equal them, get 10 trophies that year.”

Context: Astralis' Legacy

The Danish juggernaut Astralis set a formidable benchmark during their prime, capturing 10 trophies in a single year, a feat often cited as one of the most dominant runs in CS:GO history.

apEX's Achievements in Perspective

According to Dust2.in, apEX has now matched dupreeh’s record for the most notable trophies, with both players having amassed 32 significant wins in their careers. That said, dupreeh still retains the edge in Majors won (five), compared to apEX's two (Paris 2023 Major and BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025).

Summary

Vitality’s 2025 campaign: 7 straight titles, ESL Grand Slam, BLAST.tv Austin Major win, then a 37-series winning streak ended at IEM Cologne.

apEX's new target: Equal Astralis’ record of 10 trophies in a year, a goal set after evaluating their momentum and missed opportunities.

Astralis’ historical feat: 10 trophies in a year—a reminder of CS:GO’s golden era.

apEX vs dupreeh: apEX has caught up to dupreeh in total notable trophies (32 each), though less in Majors (2 vs 5)