ropz: “We know we can win trophies, but we are not setting crazy targets” — Vitality’s mindset after record-breaking 2025

ropz: “We know we can win trophies, but we are not setting crazy targets” — Vitality’s mindset after record-breaking 2025

Robin “ropz” Kool, the Estonian rifler for Vitality in Counter-Strike 2, has shared a nuanced perspective on the team’s goals for 2026, emphasizing measured expectations after one of the most successful seasons in recent memory. 

Coming off a historic 2025 campaign in which Vitality were one of the top-performing teams on the international CS2 scene, many fans and analysts expected the lineup to carry that momentum straight into the new year. However, ropz explained that while confidence is high, the squad isn’t setting “extreme” goals such as guaranteeing a specific number of trophies or Major titles before the year even begins. 

“The motivation we have is that we know we can win a lot of trophies,” ropz told HLTV following Vitality’s progression to the playoffs at IEM Kraków 2026, “just from last year. But we are not setting those extreme goals — we didn’t even start like that.” 

The comment reflects a grounded approach from Vitality’s veteran leader. Last year’s successes were widely seen as somewhat unexpected at the start of the season, with the team surpassing expectations to lift multiple trophies by the end of 2025. Ropz referenced how surprising their achievements were, even to themselves, noting that winning five trophies in a single year was already “incredibly successful.” 

A reminder of the heights they’ve reached

To put the context in perspective: ropz himself was ranked among the Top 20 CS2 players of 2025, finishing third in HLTV’s annual player rankings — a testament to both his individual performance and Vitality’s collective strength. During interviews for that ranking, he reflected on key goals like winning trophies leading up to Major events, which helped boost the team’s confidence throughout the year. 

This mindset of prioritizing performance over rigid numerical targets seems to stem from the team’s experiences throughout 2025. According to broader interview coverage from later in the year, Vitality managed to secure extremely impressive form and results, including a long LAN win streak and multiple championships, with ropz often highlighting team cohesion and preparation as central parts of that success. 

Fans have even pointed out on social platforms that ropz has amassed as many trophies with Vitality in one year as he had won across entire stints with his former teams — including FaZe Clan and MOUZ — underscoring how extraordinary the period was for him and his current squad. 

Not dwelling on results — building sustainable form

Despite the silverware and momentum, ropz makes it clear Vitality are trying to avoid the kind of pressure that comes with publicly declaring lofty ambitions. Instead, the focus is on taking each event and tournament on its own merits, improving performance steadily, and allowing results to follow naturally.

He stressed that there’s internal disappointment when they fall short — for example, when Vitality were knocked out in the semis at BLAST Bounty earlier this year — but that the team views such setbacks as part of the competitive process rather than reasons to panic or readjust unrealistic goals. 

This approach reflects a broader maturity from the roster, which combines experienced veterans like ropz alongside other elite players. By concentrating on consistency, preparation, and in-game execution, Vitality aim to replicate — or even exceed — their past achievements without the burden of overwhelming expectations.

Looking ahead

As the CS2 competitive calendar unfolds in 2026, ropz’s comments suggest Vitality will continue to be one of the most closely watched lineups. Their results in early events, such as their playoff run in Kraków, demonstrate they remain a dangerous team capable of deep runs — even if they aren’t loudly proclaiming they’ll win a set number of trophies.

In ropz’s own words, the team’s motivation is simple: they understand they have “a really unique team, a really good team,” and they don’t want to “waste any time” making the most of their window of opportunity on the global stage.