Vitality one win away from $1,000,000 ESL Grand Slam VI after IEM Kraków 2026 win

Team Vitality have taken a massive step toward another historic achievement in Counter-Strike. After winning IEM Kraków 2026, the French-led roster now sits one trophy away from securing ESL Grand Slam Season VI and the $1,000,000 prize.

The victory places Dan “apEX” Madesclaire’s squad firmly in the lead of the Grand Slam race — and puts the rest of the scene on high alert.

Vitality’s ESL Grand Slam VI progress

With the Kraków trophy secured, Vitality now hold three Grand Slam-eligible titles:

IEM Dallas 2025

ESL Pro League Season 22

IEM Kraków 2026

They also ticked the required EPT Championship trophy box with the Kraków win, bringing them within touching distance of the historic prize.

Vitality now have five chances remaining to secure the fourth trophy required to complete the Grand Slam. The earliest opportunity comes at IEM Rio, scheduled for April.

At the time of the update, their closest rivals — Spirit and FURIA — were still on just one eligible title each.

IEM Kraków 2026 Grand Final recap

Vitality defeated FURIA 3–1 in the grand final:

Mirage — FURIA win

Inferno — Vitality win

Nuke — Vitality win

Overpass — Vitality win

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut delivered a superstar performance across the series, finishing with a 1.66 rating and securing the IEM Kraków MVP award, which HLTV described as his best Big Event rating ever.

The win further reinforces Vitality’s dominance entering the 2026 season.

apEX confirms the goal: Back-to-back Grand Slam

Vitality’s ambitions were made clear long before Kraków. After the Budapest Major victory, apEX openly stated the team’s next milestone:

“The first goal of next year is the back-to-back Grand Slam.”

The statement highlights how carefully the team’s tournament schedule and goals have been aligned around the ESL Grand Slam chase.

Vitality mindset: ignoring streak pressure

Despite growing talk about a potential era, Vitality players have repeatedly downplayed streak narratives.

Robin “ropz” Kool previously explained the team’s mentality:

“[Other teams] say, ‘We want to beat your streak…’ but we don’t even care.”

This focus on internal performance rather than external pressure has become a defining trait of the roster.

“Run for the era”: Vitality’s long-term dominance goals

Shahar “flameZ” Shushan has also addressed the bigger picture behind the team’s trophy streak.

After winning ESL Pro League Season 22, he stated:

“It keeps us in a run for the era.”

Later, following the Budapest Major victory, flameZ described the win as:

“Putting the cherry on top of the cake.”

On stage, he added:

“That was the cherry on top of the year.”

Teammate William “mezii” Merriman echoed the sentiment, calling the roster:

“Special” and “one of the greatest of all time.”

Why Vitality skipping ESL Pro League matters

Vitality declined an invite to ESL Pro League Season 23, meaning they will not attempt to secure the Grand Slam there.

Instead, the team is focusing its schedule around select elite events — making IEM Rio the next major milestone in their Grand Slam pursuit.

This decision reduces the number of attempts but allows for focused preparation for the biggest tournaments of the year.

What’s next for Vitality?

If Vitality win one more ESL Grand Slam-eligible event, they will:

Secure ESL Grand Slam Season VI

Earn the $1,000,000 team prize

Cement their legacy in the CS2 era

The next chapter begins at IEM Rio, where the esports world will watch to see whether Vitality can finish the job.