Vitality Coach XTQZZZ: “We Can’t Keep Starting Tournaments Like This”

Vitality head coach Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam voiced his frustration over the team’s recurring slow starts after another shaky opening at IEM Chengdu 2025, warning that such patterns can’t continue with a Major and another tournament coming up soon.

Vitality stumble again in Chengdu

Coming into Chengdu as the world’s No.1 team, Vitality were expected to dominate, but their group stage performance has been anything but smooth. They barely edged out Virtus.pro 2–1 in their opener, surviving a scare after dropping the CIS side’s Overpass pick and relying on a hard-fought comeback to stay alive.

After a more convincing lower-bracket win over Lynn Vision, XTQZZZ admitted that even the Virtus.pro victory “should have been a 2–0 loss,” highlighting the same sluggish starts that plagued them earlier at ESL Pro League Season 22.

Things worsened when MOUZ handed Vitality a 2–1 defeat in the upper-bracket semi-final, denying them a direct playoff spot. It was only Vitality’s second loss in ten encounters with MOUZ — a rare setback that underscored their inconsistency.

XTQZZZ emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue ahead of the upcoming Counter-Strike Major, which begins with two best-of-one matches. “We have to work on it, especially for the Major with two best-of-ones on the first day,” he said. “We also have another tournament next week, and I don’t want to start like this again.”

MOUZ’s Train pick catches Vitality off guard

A key revelation from XTQZZZ’s interview was that MOUZ’s veto preparation outsmarted Vitality. The German side surprised everyone by picking Train, a map they had rarely showcased but maintained a perfect record on.

XTQZZZ took responsibility, admitting that he and assistant coach Mathieu “MaT” Leber hadn’t anticipated Train as a likely pick and expected something else based on MOUZ’s usual preferences. That miscalculation, he said, put Vitality “on the back foot right from the start.”

The oversight was particularly striking because Vitality are known for their meticulous preparation — a reputation XTQZZZ built during his earlier stint with the team and later in G2, where his tactical planning and veto strategies became defining traits.

The lingering EPL hangover

Vitality’s Chengdu struggles are part of a broader trend. Only weeks earlier, they suffered a shocking 2–0 defeat to Gentle Mates in the second stage of ESL Pro League Season 22, dropping both Nuke and Train. The upset gave the French-Spanish underdogs a major boost and raised questions about Vitality’s consistency.

That loss was fresh in the coach’s mind in Chengdu. XTQZZZ admitted that after Pro League, the team discussed their recurring early-event issues — only to find themselves in the same predicament against Virtus.pro and MOUZ.

Gentle Mates’ rifler Alejandro “mopoz” Fernández-Quejo added a bit of humor after the upset, joking that his team had “shown who’s the best baguette.” The rivalry carries extra weight since Gentle Mates’ ownership includes former Vitality co-founders, adding personal history to the matchup.

Chasing Astralis’ record of dominance

Vitality’s 2025 campaign is being compared to Astralis’ historic 2018 season, when the Danes lifted ten LAN trophies in a single year.

Team captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire has said the squad would “love to at least equal Astralis’ record,” acknowledging that the benchmark motivates them internally. XTQZZZ echoed that ambition, saying the team asked themselves mid-season, “We’ve won everything — what’s next?”

According to the coach, the answer was to keep refining fundamentals and communication while quietly tracking whether they could still achieve an eight- or even ten-trophy year. He admitted that success can make the team relax too much at times, and that the “trophy chase” serves as a reminder — not a substitute for daily discipline.

MOUZ’s Spinx: “We finally got them”

From the opposition’s perspective, the Chengdu win meant a lot. MOUZ’s Lotan “Spinx” Giladi pointed out that before this event, his team had a 2–8 record against Vitality, often being knocked out by them on the way to their title runs.

He said that Vitality had been “getting trophies on our backs” and that finally taking them down “boosted MOUZ’s confidence.” For XTQZZZ, it was another reminder that any dip in Vitality’s sharpness gives their rivals the opening they’ve been waiting for.

XTQZZZ’s path back to Vitality

XTQZZZ’s frustration comes from how much effort went into rebuilding the current Vitality core. He helped establish the organization’s CS project in 2018 before leaving in 2021. After a challenging time with G2, a brief break, and a short-lived TSM project that dissolved quickly, he returned to Vitality in October 2023 as head coach.

That same month, apEX extended his contract through 2026, reuniting the leadership duo that shaped the team’s original identity.

In a reflective interview after rejoining, XTQZZZ discussed the “death of the French scene”, his turbulent G2 tenure, and how Vitality’s shift to an international lineup had transformed the team dynamic. At 36, he’s now focused on leaving a legacy built on consistency — not just big wins.

What’s next for Vitality?

Vitality still have a route to the IEM Chengdu 2025 playoffs through the lower bracket, potentially setting up rematches against Virtus.pro or G2, depending on other Group B results.

Beyond Chengdu, the team is already preparing for:

The Major, where early best-of-ones can make or break a campaign.

Another LAN next week, which XTQZZZ views as a crucial test of whether Vitality can finally start events with the same intensity they show in playoffs.

The coming weeks will determine whether Vitality’s season remains merely great — or if they can truly challenge Astralis’ fabled 10-trophy year.