Team Spirit’s hally Reflects on Vitality Defeat at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025: “These Are the Matches That Show What We Must Fix”
Team Spirit’s head coach Sergey “hally” Shavaev reflected on the team’s narrow 1:2 loss to Team Vitality in the BLAST Rivals Fall 2025 quarter-finals, saying the defeat was “not disappointing, but instructive.” His comments were featured in the team’s post-match vlog and later highlighted by esports media.
“Today We Finally Played Our Real CS”
Speaking to his roster after the game, hally emphasized that the team approached the match with the right mindset and intensity:
He pointed out that every member of the squad was fully involved and that the overall level of Counter-Strike was “good.”
He compared the loss to their earlier defeat against Team Falcons, noting that unlike that match, the Spirit lineup in this series finally showed the CS they expect from themselves.
According to the coach, the Vitality match generated a detailed list of adjustments, which Spirit will focus on in preparation for the upcoming Major. The team faces roughly ten days of “very hard work.”
How the Series Unfolded
The best-of-three went the distance, with two maps stretching into overtime:
Dust2 — 13:11 Spirit
Nuke — 19:16 Vitality (Double OT)
Mirage — 16:13 Vitality (OT)
Spirit finished the tournament in 5–6th place, earning $25,000.
Standouts included donk and sh1ro, who delivered strong performances on Dust2. Donk also produced a spectacular 1v5 Galil clutch on Nuke, although the map ultimately slipped away in double overtime. On Mirage, a key triple-hold from zweih helped Spirit force OT, but Vitality closed out the series in extra rounds.
Reactions Inside Team Spirit
Analyst Anatoly “clife” Averykov called the series “an unreal match” and stressed that the team is still fine-tuning roles following recent roster changes. He noted that Spirit have been working heavily on correcting mistakes during their time competing in China and are now directing full attention toward the upcoming Major.
Meanwhile, Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov admitted on his personal channel that he tilted heavily on Mirage, finishing the map with an uncharacteristically low rating. He openly criticized his own performance, noting that he expected more from himself in high-pressure moments.
Roster Evolution and Search for Balance
In an earlier interview, hally addressed criticism toward his coaching and explained the structural challenges following the departure of zont1x and magixx:
magixx previously held many sacrificial roles and helped maintain order in voice comms—qualities Spirit are still trying to recreate.
zweih brings additional firepower but needs time to develop the same selfless playstyle.
tN1R occupies similar positions to zont1x but requires more initiative on the map, prompting structural adjustments to integrate him properly.
Vitality Dominating the 2025 Head-to-Head
The match in Hong Kong marked yet another chapter in a dominant year for Vitality, extending their 2025 record against Spirit to 4–0. Their victories include:
A 3:0 win in the IEM Katowice grand final
A 2:1 win at BLAST Open Lisbon
A 2:0 win in the BLAST Rivals Season 1 semi-finals
And now the 2:1 overtime victory at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
Vitality’s captain apEX has repeatedly highlighted the team’s exceptional form, praising the roster’s discipline, work ethic, and consistency throughout the season.
What’s Next for Spirit?
Despite the loss, the mood within Spirit is constructive:
The integration of zweih and tN1R remains ongoing.
The level of play displayed against Vitality is considered close to the standard Spirit wants to maintain.
The team will now shift into an intensive preparation phase before the Major.
For hally, the takeaway is clear: this was a match that exposes flaws, not one that damages confidence. Spirit aim to use this high-level test against Vitality as a blueprint for improvement—and possibly for revenge on the Major stage.
