Pimp Names Team Vitality the Greatest Team in Counter-Strike History After IEM Kraków and PGL Cluj-Napoca Wins

Pimp crowns Vitality the Counter-Strike GOAT team — and says the Astralis debate is over

Counter-Strike analyst Jacob “Pimp” Winneche has declared Team Vitality “the greatest team in the history of Counter-Strike,” saying he had hesitated for a long time because the only true rival in his mind was Astralis’ legendary era — but Vitality’s latest trophy haul finally pushed him over the edge.

In a post on X, Pimp wrote that he’d been “on the fence” while weighing arguments for and against the claim, but after Vitality won IEM Kraków 2026 and PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, he considers the discussion settled — calling what’s happening right now “history unfolding in real time.”

The “GOAT case” in results: Kraków + Cluj-Napoca back-to-back

1) IEM Kraków 2026 — Vitality outlast FURIA in the final

Vitality beat FURIA 3–1 to lift the Kraków trophy (Mirage 11–13, Inferno 13–8, Nuke 13–2, Overpass 13–10).

HLTV’s recap highlighted ZywOo as the clear difference-maker in the final series.

2) PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 — a clean 3–0 sweep in the grand final

Vitality then swept PARIVISION 3–0 to claim the title in Cluj-Napoca.

HLTV noted that while ZywOo topped charts throughout the event, the grand final featured meaningful impact from all five Vitality players — with flameZ particularly standing out statistically across the series.

Player quotes that fueled the “era” narrative

Here are verified reactions published from players’ X posts after the Cluj-Napoca win:

ZywOo: “Champions… Second trophy of the year. Playing with this team is just incredible!”

flameZ: “Nice! GG, PARIVISION… ZywOo is just dad. Wow!”

apEX (to PGL): “You should make medals for players — it feels bad to leave without any souvenirs.”

And the quote that started this whole debate cycle:

Pimp: Vitality are “the greatest team in the history of Counter-Strike”… with Astralis as the only real competitor in his mind — but Kraków + Cluj-Napoca made it “final.”

Why this hit harder than a normal hot take

Pimp had already been pushing the idea publicly in 2025 — calling Vitality “a contender for the greatest team ever assembled,” while still stopping short of crowning them outright.

What changed in 2026 is that Vitality didn’t just look dominant — they validated it with more trophies, including two major LAN wins in quick succession.

HLTV’s own coverage also frames Vitality’s recent run as an “era” built around their 2025 dominance and continued #1 ranking momentum heading into 2026.

Snapshot: where Vitality stand right now

Vitality are #1 in HLTV’s team ranking (as of Feb 23, 2026).

Cybersport reports Vitality’s Cluj-Napoca win was the org’s 24th trophy, and that the team has spent 62 weeks at #1 in HLTV’s ranking (with their longest stretch cited as 81 weeks).

The Astralis comparison, explained (without mythology)

Pimp’s argument is basically: Astralis set the historical bar — and Vitality have now reached (or passed) the point where you can confidently call it.

He explicitly frames Astralis’ “golden roster” as Vitality’s only competitor in the GOAT conversation, but says the recent double win removes his last doubt.