Mezii: “Fixing our form is on us as individuals — not the playbook”

Fresh off a 0–3 loss to FURIA in the IEM Chengdu grand final on November 9, Vitality are already resetting for BLAST Rivals Season 2 in Hong Kong — and William “mezii” Merriman says the solution won’t come from adding pages to the strat book. “As a team we have a really deep playbook — it’s more about making sure we’re not a step behind… it’s down to us as individuals to try to fix that,” he said during BLAST media day.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, mezii rejected the “blowout” framing of the final. “Of course it was 3-0 to FURIA, but on another day it could have been 3-0 to us,” he explained, pointing to leads or conversion chances on all three maps. The team’s focus this week is on regaining consistency and comfort across maps — particularly Train and Overpass — while keeping an eye on peaking for the next Major.

What went wrong in Chengdu — and why Vitality aren’t panicking

The veto (letting Ancient through) drew criticism, but mezii framed it as a calculated “play to win” risk: FURIA hadn’t shown much Ancient this year, while Train and Overpass remain weaker for Vitality. “We’re not that stupid to let [a map] through if we have had no practice,” he said, noting that they had kept Ancient “in the back pocket” even if it was “rusty.”

FURIA’s title run — with YEKINDAR and molodoy leading the charge — underlined how fine the margins were. Vitality built early leads on Inferno and Overpass before FURIA turned things around with key clutches from FalleN and strong multi-kill rounds across the lineup.

The bigger picture: from historic dominance to a tricky autumn

Vitality’s dip contrasts sharply with their blistering first half of 2025, when they claimed six straight titles and built a dominant win streak. Captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire recently pushed back on the growing criticism, admitting the team didn’t prepare well after the player break but insisting that talk of a “disaster” was exaggerated.

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut has also been candid about the team’s current wobble. “We are not confident about a lot of things right now,” he said, while expressing faith that the team would “work again” and “come back stronger.”

How Vitality plan to respond

Mezii’s message tracks with what he and the team have said all season: the answers are internal. In September, he emphasized tightening team play and “switching up some more things,” while earlier in the year he talked about integrating ropz and finding the right comfort zones across roles and anchor positions.

At the organizational level, chairman Fabien “Neo” Devide described 2025 as a reset built around ZywOo’s era-defining standards and the arrival of ropz. “When you have a player of ZywOo’s calibre, winning one trophy a year isn’t enough,” he said.

Rivals smell blood — and respect

Opponents have felt both sides of Vitality this season. Before Chengdu, MOUZ’s Spinx — who departed Vitality over the winter — spoke about the psychological weight of facing his former teammates and later celebrated finally getting a win over them.

Even FURIA’s veteran leader Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, fresh off the Chengdu triumph, referred to Vitality as “the big boss” — the kind of opponent that demands more than good form to beat. It was a nod to the ceiling Vitality can still reach when they’re firing on all cylinders.

What’s next

Vitality open BLAST Rivals Season 2 against TYLOO on Wednesday, November 12. Mezii says the short turnaround is a positive: “Refocus and reset onto this tournament and get back to a better level.”

Related quotes and context

Mezii, earlier this season: Spoke about the need for stronger team play and adapting to how opponents have studied their playbook.

Mezii at IEM Dallas: “MOUZ said they’re ready to beat us — now it’s time to show it,” he noted, highlighting the rising competitiveness among top teams.

apEX on the summer–fall slump: Dismissed “disaster” talk while acknowledging poor post-break preparation.

ZywOo on the current form: Admitted confidence issues but stressed belief in the team’s long-term potential.

Spinx on leaving Vitality: Called it “the right decision,” saying it allowed both sides to move forward.

Neo on Vitality’s long-term plan: Emphasized a 2025 rebuild centered on ZywOo’s consistency and maintaining a championship standard.