Vitality Edge Past FUT at BLAST Rivals 2026 Despite Shock Dust2 Loss

Vitality Edge Past FUT at BLAST Rivals 2026 Despite Shock Dust2 Loss

Vitality survive upset scare against FUT in Fort Worth

Team Vitality began their BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1 campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over FUT Esports, but the series exposed rare weaknesses in the world’s top-ranked CS2 team.

Facing a lauNX-less FUT lineup, Vitality were expected to dominate. Instead, the European squad was pushed to the brink, needing all three maps to secure the win and a place in the playoffs.

Match summary: Mirage control, Dust2 collapse, Nuke recovery

Vitality opened the series confidently on Mirage, securing a 13-6 win with a strong CT-side led by mezii.

However, Dust2 became the turning point. FUT stunned Vitality with a 13-11 victory, ending Vitality’s 17-map winning streak on Dust2—a run that dated back to November 2025. The loss highlighted coordination issues and uncharacteristic mistakes from the фаворites.

On Nuke, Vitality seemed to regain control, racing to an 11-1 lead. But FUT mounted an impressive comeback, pushing the map to the limit before Vitality narrowly closed it 13-11.

ZywOo leads Vitality as FUT impress despite stand-in

Mathieu 'ZywOo' Herbaut was once again the difference-maker, finishing the series with:

69 kills

91.5 ADR

1.38 rating

For FUT, Dmytro 'dem0n' Myroshnychenko delivered a standout performance with a 1.36 rating, nearly carrying his team to a major upset.

FUT’s showing was even more impressive considering they played with coach
András 'coolio' Fercsák instead of Laurențiu 'lauNX' Țârlea, who missed the event due to health issues.

Player and coach reactions

Vitality’s coach Rémy 'XTQZZZ' Quoniam did not hold back:

“We played really badly… It’s still a win, but not happy at all.”

Meanwhile, Shahar 'flameZ' Shushan admitted the team underestimated their opponent:

“We lost to ourselves on Dust2… we took it too easy.”

He also cited fatigue, lack of preparation, and communication issues after travel as contributing factors.

What this means for BLAST Rivals 2026

The result sends Vitality to the upper bracket match, where they will face G2 Esports for a direct semi-final spot. FUT, despite the loss, gained respect for their performance and will move to an elimination match.

The tournament features top-tier teams including NAVI, FaZe, G2, Astralis, FURIA, GamerLegion, FUT, and Vitality, with only six advancing to playoffs.