“I’m really disappointed.” Vitality coach Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam admitted after his team’s latest heartbreak at BLAST Open London. “We had the game on Inferno. But at 12-11, we just didn’t look behind us and they were there.”

For a squad that stormed through the first half of the season with seven straight titles, the past few months have been a stark contrast. Another grand final appearance ended without silverware, and XTQZZZ was blunt about the feeling in the Vitality camp: “We want to win. Simply reaching a final isn’t enough.”

G2 strike at Vitality’s low point

Standing in their way was G2 Esports, which had rediscovered its bite and claimed the London trophy in emphatic fashion. G2’s run through Team Spirit, FaZe Clan, FURIA, and now Vitality showed a stark turnaround in form from a team that had honestly struggled to put together a string of good results all year.

The grand final began with humiliation for Vitality with a 13-2 collapse on Dust2 that made them look more like a tier-three team than reigning Major champions. Though they roared back with dominant wins on Mirage and Overpass, including a flawless 16-0 T side from Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, it was not enough.

Inferno proved to be the pivotal map. Vitality looked on the brink of sealing the series and championship, when having a championship round at 12-11. G2 managed to force overtime with trophy-saving clutch. Sweeping the extra rounds 4-0, G2 grabbed hold of the grand final and refused to let the grip loosen.

“Then on Train, it’s a CT map, we lost both pistols, so it’s tough,” XTQZZZ said, as G2 closed the series with a commanding 13-6 win. Tournament MVP Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko and teammate Matus “MATYS” Simko were the standout performers on the deciding map.

A fading era?

With another final slipping through their fingers, questions about the decline of Vitality’s “era” are unavoidable. XTQZZZ himself didn’t deny the suggestion, but sounded weary: “I don’t know.”

He pointed to fatigue as a key factor: “The team needs a break,” he explained, after seven relentless weeks of competition. But he also acknowledged deeper problems: “We’re not as strong individually by five or ten percent than in previous months… and the mentality isn’t good enough. We are frustrated way faster than before, and that’s an issue. It’s technical and also mental.”

Vitality now faces a crucial reset period before the ESL Pro League begins on October 3. Whether this is truly the end of their dominance or just a temporary stumble will depend on whether XTQZZZ and the roster can rediscover the incredible consistency they once had. One thing’s for sure: the hunger to win remains.