Vitality vs FURIA at IEM Kraków 2026: ZywOo MVP Performance Sparks Harsh Reaction from n0rb3r7

Team Vitality secured the IEM Kraków 2026 CS2 trophy after defeating FURIA Esports 3–1 in the grand final of the $1,000,000 tournament. The series started competitively but quickly shifted into a one-sided affair once Vitality found their rhythm.

Grand final map results:

Mirage — 13:11

Inferno — 13:8

Nuke — 13:2

Overpass — 13:10

After a tight opener, Vitality dominated the remaining maps and closed the series with confidence, confirming their status as one of the strongest CS2 teams early in 2026.

n0rb3r7 reaction: “FURIA weren’t even here”

The grand final sparked strong reactions across the CS2 scene. HOTU player David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan delivered one of the most talked-about comments after the match:

“Okay, FURIA weren’t even here. ZywOo doesn’t miss → you can’t beat Vitality.”

The quote quickly spread across the community and perfectly summarized the narrative of the final — Vitality’s star player was nearly unstoppable.

ZywOo MVP: best tournament performance of his career

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut became the undisputed star of IEM Kraków 2026.

Key achievements:

HLTV x 1XBET MVP of the tournament

1.59 rating across the event

Tournament-defining AWP impact in the grand final

In a post-match interview, ZywOo described the event as a personal milestone:

“I can say it was my best performance that I’ve ever played in a tournament.”

After lifting the trophy, he also shared his excitement about Vitality’s 2026 season:

“Feels good to lift our first trophy of 2026 — aiming for many others.”

This win marks a strong start for Vitality and signals their intention to dominate the CS2 competitive season.

apEX, Perfecto and Magisk react to Vitality’s win

The CS2 pro scene quickly reacted to Vitality’s victory and ZywOo’s performance.

Dan “apEX” Madesclaire (Vitality captain):
He called Kraków the best tournament of ZywOo’s career and praised the team’s level throughout the event.

Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy:
Highlighted ZywOo’s flawless entries and near-perfect execution in the final.

Emil “Magisk” Reif:
Congratulated Vitality publicly, saying the team is “making history” and should enjoy the moment.

These reactions reinforce the perception that ZywOo delivered one of the most dominant individual tournament runs in recent CS2 history.

FURIA storyline: pre-final warning signs

Before the playoffs, FURIA veteran Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo spoke about the need to constantly adapt and evolve in CS2, noting that strategies that worked previously may stop being effective.

After the grand final, those words feel especially relevant — Vitality’s adjustments and map control proved decisive in the BO5.