Spinx on finally beating Vitality in Chengdu: “They’ve been getting trophies on our backs — it wasn’t easy”

Spinx on finally beating Vitality in Chengdu: “They’ve been getting trophies on our backs — it wasn’t easy”

MOUZ rifler Lotan “Spinx” Giladi says his team’s win over Vitality at IEM Chengdu 2025 felt like shaking off a weight that had been building for months. Speaking to HLTV on-site, the Israeli star referenced a lopsided recent head-to-head — “a 2–8 record” — and admitted that breaking the streak mattered on a personal level: “They’ve just been getting trophies on our backs, and it wasn’t easy.” The comment came after MOUZ outlasted Vitality 2–1 to move into the playoffs in China. 

A rivalry with history — and subtext

Spinx’s words carry extra bite because he won major titles with Vitality before leaving during the 2024–25 winter break. At the time, he framed the switch as a necessary reset and said he had “no regrets” about the decision to depart even if it meant starting from scratch elsewhere.  Now wearing red, he is at the center of one of the scene’s most watchable subplots: MOUZ vs. Vitality as a test of whether his new project can consistently topple his former teammates.

Vitality’s 2025 résumé helps explain the sting. The French-Danish core won IEM Katowice 2025 in February with a commanding 3–0 over Spirit, a reminder that, even amid roster churn elsewhere, ZywOo, apEX, mezii, flameZ and ropz remain trophy contenders. Spinx’s “trophies on our backs” line nods directly at that level of success. 

The Chengdu turning point

The bracket in Chengdu threw the two sides together early. Vitality had survived a rocky opener vs. Virtus.pro, turning a map deficit and a 5–10 hole into a series win to stay in the upper bracket. A day later, MOUZ drew Vitality in a match that would help decide the playoff picture. 

MOUZ prevailed 2–1 across Train, Nuke, and Inferno. HLTV’s match page highlights several momentum-swinging rounds, including a Spinx ACE on Inferno and a pair of early-map clutches from Brollan and jimpphat that stabilized the series for the international lineup. The result pushed MOUZ to a playoff berth and sent Vitality into a longer route. 

For Spinx, beating Vitality was both a standings boost and a psychological milestone. HLTV’s interview teaser captured the context succinctly: a 2–8 run in recent meetings had tilted the matchup lopsidedly against MOUZ, fueling the narrative that Vitality had their number. Ending that trend on a big stage reframed the rivalry heading into the business end of the tournament. 

Why it matters beyond one series

• Validation for the move. When Spinx left Vitality, he insisted it was the right decision, even amid uncertainty. Delivering in a high-pressure series versus his former team is tangible proof that the switch can produce the same elite-level ceiling — now wearing MOUZ colors.

• MOUZ’s evolution. Since bringing Spinx in, MOUZ have leaned into a balanced fragging core around xertioN, torzsi, jimpphat, and recent arrival Brollan. Chengdu’s tape shows that when the game slows into late-rounds or grinds through long series, Spinx still finds ways to take over maps — the Inferno ACE being the headline example.

• Vitality still dangerous. It bears remembering that Vitality started Chengdu by clawing past VP despite an opening slump — a classic sign of a champion roster that can win ugly. They remain a threat deep into any event, and a possible rematch later in the tournament would hardly be one-sided.

The numbers and the narrative

Exact head-to-head tallies fluctuate with event cycles, but HLTV’s own prompt for the interview makes clear the prevailing story line: Vitality had dominated the recent series ledger against MOUZ, and Chengdu broke the pattern. Spinx’s phrasing — trophies “on our backs” — is not just bravado; Vitality’s Katowice title earlier this year stands as a very current reminder of what MOUZ are chasing. 

Meanwhile, Chengdu’s structure magnifies the value of an early scalp. The event runs Nov. 3–9, features 16 teams, and uses two double-elimination groups feeding into a single-elimination playoff. Beating a top seed in groups shortens the path, buys extra prep time, and avoids additional elimination matches — all premium advantages when map pools now include Dust2, Mirage, Inferno, Nuke, Train, Overpass and Ancient and when stamina matters across multiple best-of-threes. 

What comes next

• For MOUZ: The Chengdu win over Vitality locks in confidence and seeding leverage. The focus turns to maintaining the same composure that carried them through decisive rounds against an elite defense.

• For Vitality: Having weathered one comeback already, apEX’s side will attempt to route through the remaining bracket with the same resilience that won Katowice. As always, ZywOo’s form is the compass, but mezii’s mid-round impact and flameZ’s entries have been the series tilters this season.

• For the rivalry: If Chengdu’s bracket sets up a rematch, it will arrive with a different psychological balance than the “2–8” prelude. A second MOUZ victory would flip the narrative; a Vitality bounce-back would restore the status quo.

The broader arc for Spinx

Spinx’s interviews over the last few years trace a clear arc: leaving ENCE for Vitality in 2022 was “not an easy decision”; leaving Vitality for MOUZ in early 2025 was “the right decision.” His Chengdu comments fit that through-line — another step in a career defined by bold calls and the willingness to take short-term pain in pursuit of a better long-term fit. 

Beating Vitality doesn’t close the book; it opens a new chapter. The Israeli rifler still has to scale the last wall with MOUZ: lifting a top-tier 2025 trophy against the very teams that have denied them in previous finals and semi-finals. But for one night in Chengdu, the man who helped Vitality win the biggest stages could finally say he had landed a heavy punch against them — and that it “wasn’t easy” only makes it sweeter.