Vitality’s flameZ: “This was exactly the game we needed to get back into form”

After edging out Spirit in a high-pressure 2–1 series at BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2, Shahar “flameZ” Shushan described the victory as a crucial turning point for Vitality. The matchup — their first head-to-head in more than six months — was a chaotic, intense clash that required full focus from start to finish.

“It felt like a final”

Speaking to HLTV after the series, flameZ emphasized how taxing and emotional the game was:

“The intensity we had on TeamSpeak, the communication, the chaotic rounds… it felt like a final.”

Vitality were pushed to the limit, especially during the overtime sequences and a key round where they lost a 1v5 clutch, a moment flameZ admitted “hurt more than it should.” Despite that, he viewed the match as an important confidence builder.

Returning to core strengths

flameZ acknowledged that Vitality have been searching for stability recently:

“I'm not sure what the situation is right now. I feel like we may be lacking some stuff in CS, and maybe a bit of practice could help — but every team is in the same situation. We can’t complain.”

He noted that the Spirit duel forced them to return to their fundamentals: communication, mid-round adaptation, and coordination in late-round chaos. According to him, this was exactly the kind of game Vitality needed to rediscover their natural rhythm.

Facing Spirit and the “donk factor”

As always, much of the spotlight was on Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, Spirit’s explosive star. flameZ admitted that dealing with him is a constant challenge:

“You need a lot of utility for donk, and even that doesn't guarantee anything. The most important thing is trading him properly and not giving him isolated fights.”

Despite donk’s impact, Vitality managed to control key moments, especially on the deciding map, where their mid-round calls finally clicked.

Looking ahead to Falcons

The win sends Vitality to the semi-final, where they will face Falcons — a roster flameZ believes is in stronger form at the moment:

“I think Falcons are in better shape than us right now. Tomorrow I won’t come with high expectations about the outcome, but more about the process.”

He stressed that the team's focus is long-term: building a strong six-map pool and entering the upcoming Major with a polished structure rather than relying on individual form spikes.

A needed momentum shift

For Vitality, the victory over Spirit wasn’t just a bracket step — it was a psychological reset after a period of shaky performances. The team now hopes that the intensity and discipline shown in the Spirit series will serve as the foundation for their playoff run and their broader preparation ahead of the Major season.