flameZ: “This trophy keeps us in a run for the era” — Vitality ends drought, reasserts dominance

flameZ: “This trophy keeps us in a run for the era” — Vitality ends drought, reasserts dominance

Shahar “flameZ” Shushan didn’t emerge as the obvious star in Vitality’s grand final win, but his performance and words carry weight: “This trophy keeps us in a run for the era.” In the grand final, flameZ posted a 1.60 rating, arguably his best showing in a final to date, and claimed Player of the Match honors as Vitality clinched the ESL Pro League Season 22 championship. 

After months without a trophy, Vitality’s 3-0 grand final victory over Falcons ended their title drought and set the tone for what could become an era of dominance. 

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Behind the quote: what flameZ meant by “a run for the era”

In his post-match reflections, flameZ acknowledged Vitality’s recent struggles and a lack of innovation in the early season.

“Those seven weeks we played Cologne into Bounty and this and that, EWC, we were stuck with the playbook we had before Cologne, and we couldn’t have new things… This time round, we had time to practice, explore different plays, get the best out of different players.” 

Victory in this tournament, he said, is more than a trophy — it breaks the void the team had endured and repositions them as serious contenders again.

“Even though we played like shit in the last four tournaments … winning this trophy breaks the gap we had, and we're back in the routine.” 

He emphasized consistency over flashy peaks, framing it as key to sustaining their competitive identity:

“Sometimes we are not going to win tournaments, but the result of this desire to play consistently … will lead us to some trophies.” 

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Performance highlights & team turnaround

flameZ stepping up in the final

flameZ’s output across the grand final was extraordinary: his CT halves were especially strong — the article notes a 31–15 CT statline across maps — and his entries, chaos-round confidence, and readiness to “play around chaos” stood out. 

He also credited his ability to roam across roles:

“I started trying to give more ideas … not feel uncomfortable in the game. That’s something that helped me … there were a lot of chaotic rounds, and I feel comfortable in those.” 

flameZ accused himself of not being a “victim of the prep” — meaning he refused to hide behind tactical excuses — and took responsibility for his own peak, day-to-day. 

Supporting cast & depth

While flameZ took the spotlight in this moment, Vitality’s roster and preparation deserve mention. The team improved their work during the downtime, refining the map pool and strategies rather than riding on raw talent alone. 

Also key: Vitality’s deeper mission to chase a trophy record. Captain apEX had previously stated an ambition to match Astralis’ 2018 tally of 10 trophies in a single year, and this win puts them two away from that goal. 

In the same event wrap-up, HLTV highlighted that m0NESY was named MVP over flameZ and ZywOo — reflecting how Vitality’s individual stars are stacking up across the team. 

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Significance & what now

Ending a four-month drought

Vitality’s win snaps a trophyless stretch of roughly four months, restoring momentum and silencing critics. 

Era claims and consistency

The “era” talk is often treated with caution in esports, but Vitality have been collecting eight trophies in 2025 already — a pace that supports the narrative more than many peers. 

flameZ himself framed this as a reset:

“This trophy keeps us in a run for the era … now winning this trophy breaks the gap … we’re back in the routine.” 

Road ahead & upcoming challenges

Vitality’s next stops are IEM Chengdu (Nov 3) and BLAST Rivals (Nov 12) before preparing for Stage 3 and the Major. 

They plan to deep-dive into micro flaws — especially in best-of-ones — and expand their map pool. Every small improvement could matter in Major play. 

flameZ also reflected on the MVP conversation: although he was in that mix, his focus remains on team success rather than individual awards.