For both the Vitality players and organization, as well as the raucous French fans in attendance in the Accor Arena in Paris, the ultimate dream is almost a reality.
The Vitality roster held off a very dangerous, big-game-worthy Apeks roster in the semifinal of the BLAST Paris Major, and the yellow-and-black brand will go to its first (and last) CS:GO Major grand final, fittingly in front of their ravenous home crowd supporters. For in-game leader Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, just making it back to the grand final already feels like a dream come true.
“It’s incredible to be here. It means so much. The feeling I have is the best of my life,” the in-game leader said as the French crowd sang to him. “I’m just proud of my boys stepping up. It’s been eight years since I played a Major final, but doing it here would be the best gift we could give to the French people.”
Indeed it has been eight years since apEX appeared in a Major grand final, having reached back-to-back grand finals in 2015 with Team EnVyUs. While he fell short the first time against Fnatic in ESL One Cologne, he along with MVP winner and recently retired legend kennyS lifted the trophy at DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 just a few months later against NAVI.
ApEX has lifted at least one Major trophy before, and current teammates dupreeh and Magisk lifted several with Astralis, but both Spinx and the “uncrowned king”‘ in ZywOo could finally get the big piece of hardware they’ve wanted tomorrow.
Spinx told Dot Esports after today’s result that he feels more and more comfortable and confident with the team, through both the IEM Rio run and this one in Paris. While he wouldn’t guarantee a victory over GamerLegion tomorrow, he did say that Vitality has “a good chance” to emerge victorious.
