Definitely, 2025 was Vitality’s yr. The French group had an unimaginable season, successful each the BLAST Austin Main and the StarLadder Budapest Main, in addition to finishing their ESL Grand Slam run, as they ended the yr with 9 trophies lifted.
One of many greatest causes for that success is Shahar “flameZ” Shushan. The Israeli entry fragger has positioned himself amongst the all-time greats since becoming a member of Vitality, and not too long ago earned himself a seventh-placed end within the HLTV high 20 for the second yr in a row.
With the 2026 season now underway, we sat down with flameZ to debate the highs and lows of 2025, his strengths and weaknesses inside his position, in addition to his shock at Spirit’s strikes and considerations for the brand new BC.Sport roster.
An Unbelievable 2025
You closed out an unimaginable 2025 by successful your second Main of the yr. On condition that the second half of the yr wasn’t as profitable as the primary, how good did it really feel to carry that trophy?
It was superb to carry it. The primary season set a extremely excessive bar, and it was at all times going to be onerous to copy it, however we didn’t even get near it as a result of we had such an all-out, dominant season, and that’s fairly loopy.
The principle factor was that once we got here to the second season, we didn’t have the most effective begin. We stored believing and doing the identical issues, working onerous, and it labored out once we acquired the trophy at EPL.
ESL Professional League, although, it’s not a stage occasion, it’s not one thing we go into and assume it’s the identical stage as successful in entrance of a crowd of 10k individuals. We have been comfortable, as a result of we gained and performed good CS, however we needed one thing larger. Then, once we misplaced in Chengdu and Hong Kong, the one factor left was Budapest, and if we gained that, we wouldn’t care if we had gained the others.
You wish to win as many trophies as you possibly can, however Budapest is a tremendous trophy to have. I stated in different interviews that it’s just like the cherry on high of the cake, however it’s not simply the cherry, it’s the cake itself, the factor individuals wish to come and eat. It closed the yr so nicely and made a press release for what we’ve finished all yr in an excellent larger style.
How did successful in Budapest evaluate to lifting your first Main trophy in Austin?
I feel that the Austin Main was extra traumatic. We have been the favourites, and we went to the match understanding that if we performed nicely, we’d win. However, alternatively, you additionally know that many issues can go mistaken, and that makes it so traumatic to go and play in a match like that as the most effective crew on this planet by far. You assume in your head that you just’ve gained six tournaments up till that time, however if you happen to lose that one, it’s a bit pointless to some extent.
Austin was particular as a result of it was my birthday, a novel day, individuals have been singing me comfortable birthday earlier than the match began, and it felt prefer it all aligned. I had lots of confidence that we have been going to win. In Budapest, there was manner much less stress than in Austin. It was good to play like that, being in an enormous match however with manner much less stress.
The principle distinction was that with Budapest, there was lots of grinding and doing issues within the observe room that will solely assist us within the brief time period, not in the long run, due to the participant break. We simply centered on the following match, and actually put emphasis on how we ready and the way we have been going to do stuff, and I feel the coaches did rather well in that.
In Austin, all of us had the identical understanding of how we needed to strategy each sport and match-up, and to some extent, the playoff bracket in Austin felt a bit tougher. We had NAVI in our first sport, which was fairly shut, then we had MOUZ, then The MongolZ once they have been actually good. In Budapest, we had Spirit who have been robust, however The MongolZ weren’t in kind, after which FaZe, they fucked us on Nuke, however we have been far more snug than them on the remainder of the maps.
Budapest might have gone in so many instructions, and all of it got here all the way down to how the bracket would go. That stated, I feel we have been in actually good condition and we might’ve gained whoever we performed, however clearly, they might have finished it as nicely.
Going again to the second half of final yr, you guys have been in so many semi-finals and finals, regardless of not lifting trophies. So, do you assume it was honest that individuals criticised you a lot for not successful the occasions?
I feel apEX has stated that we fed the followers a bit too nicely. We gave them a season that was unforgettable.
I do assume that the criticism was justified to some extent. It’s not the shedding, it’s the best way we misplaced that made us really feel unhealthy and made followers criticise us. We confirmed a stage that was so excessive, after which we went and performed like noobs.
That’s the sport to some extent; it’s leisure and esports, and the followers are going to criticize you even if you happen to win and say that you just’re fortunate. You’ve simply acquired to take what’s good and what’s unhealthy, and if it is smart, you’ve started working it out.
Initially, we have been taking part in badly within the elimination matches, so some criticism isn’t good as a result of followers lose cash they usually bully you in DMs, however alternatively, it’s simply going to be like that.
It doesn’t change something if the followers wish to be honest or not. Ultimately, it’s simply you and your crew, and whether or not or not you play good CS. Even this yr, whether or not we begin rather well or actually badly, persons are simply going to go on about patterns, the place even when we lose each quarter-final, they’ll nonetheless name us the favourites when it will get to the Main.
Our efficiency coach at all times emphasises that individuals will primarily decide you on how good you’re when instances are robust, so I feel us sticking to the semi-finals at a minimal gave us some room to breathe. If we misplaced earlier on, we’d lose confidence, so attending to the highest 4 after which simply taking part in shit, you continue to get the massive image, and it doesn’t depress you. That issues quite a bit in CS.
Since Budapest, you’ve been named the seventh-best participant on this planet for 2025 by HLTV. How are you feeling about that?
I used to be very pleased with it. I used to be pondering that I’d get eight or 9 in my head; they at all times ship you the interview just a few days earlier than, so I used to be attempting to estimate it, and getting seven, I used to be actually pleased with.
Lots of people have seven as a fortunate quantity, so it’s a cool quantity to have. Subsequent yr, my purpose is to get seven once more.
It was your second yr in a row coming seventh; would you not wish to go slightly increased?
No, I’m pleased with it. Earlier than getting seventh final yr, I cared concerning the high 20, however not within the sense of the place I’m on the record. Clearly, the upper you’re, the higher it feels, but when I assist my crew and we win trophies, any participant on this planet would take what we did final yr over being within the high 20.
I’m pleased with it as a result of if you happen to’re within the high 20, it exhibits your particular person kind places your crew able to win issues. However getting some other quantity wouldn’t change how I really feel. It’s cool to get the higher numbers, however successful trophies is all that basically issues.
Outdoors of donk, you’re the highest-ranked aggressive rifler by fairly a great distance, so what do you assume you’re doing otherwise to the opposite gamers in the identical roles as you?
I feel I’ve an excellent crew who’re very aligned on the entry aspect of issues. If I die, I get traded actually rapidly, so it makes the stats look higher on the web site. Ultimately, we’ve much more conditions the place we additionally open up websites efficiently, and that’s what modifications the sport and exhibits my affect.
Additionally, apEX as an IGL, he understands entrying so nicely as a result of he was an entry himself, so it provides me a bonus after I go into websites as a result of I’ve the arrogance that the strats are constructed across the entry pathing. Possibly they’re not there for me to get a kill or do one thing loopy, however for me, gaining the information and making the sacrifice provides me the arrogance, and I’m comfortable to do it. In actual fact, I wish to do it; taking part in passively bores me a bit.
Me doing that provides my crew lots of area, so I’m comfortable to do it. Possibly me doing it provides me a bit increased placement, too, as a result of there are gamers that do the opening position higher than me, however I do the entrying position higher than them. Possibly opening is extra meta, as a result of it’s the gamers like xertioN, XANTARES, they usually have extra alternatives to get duels originally of rounds, they usually do it higher than me. However, I additionally don’t care as a result of this yr I gained extra trophies than them, so if the system works and also you consider it, what occurs is sweet.
I additionally want to think about that I’ve actually good gamers round me, so I don’t must put all the things on myself. Placing them in a 2v2, if it’s ropz and ZywOo, or anybody else, as a result of they’re all so good, so long as I kill one on the entry and gave good data earlier than that, my job has been finished nicely, and I’ve affect no matter stats. That’s what issues, that’s the tradition that we’ve constructed right here. It doesn’t matter if I’m 18-1 or 1-18, so long as I’m giving the identical issues.
Stunning Roster Strikes
Rostermania hasn’t been as busy as lots of us anticipated it to be, so are you shocked that extra groups haven’t made modifications to attempt to catch as much as you guys?
I don’t assume the sport is to catch as much as us anymore prefer it was again in June. Many groups perceive that they want extra time to construct, and I respect that quite a bit. Some roster modifications again then have been a bit naive; they tried to search out gamers that may substitute individuals, and now they’re making modifications once more as a result of these gamers didn’t match.
I feel groups like Falcons, they’ve proven their potential to win; they don’t require change until there’s a problem internally. I did count on extra modifications within the high ten groups, although, however the Spirit roster change, I didn’t count on that in any respect. From understanding a bit on the within, although, I feel that many have tried to vary however couldn’t purchase gamers or discover replacements they needed.
What do you consider a number of the new rosters which have shaped, like Astralis, 100 Thieves, and BC.Sport?
I feel Astralis going worldwide is an efficient selection for them. It opens up far more alternatives than that they had earlier than, as a result of taking part in in a nationwide crew, until it’s like The MongolZ, the place you don’t have a vastly aggressive scene, however you do have 5 very aggressive gamers, then it isn’t good.
In Denmark, years in the past, you possibly can’ve performed in that nationwide market, however now the numbers have dwindled, and lots of the brand new skills are already going to worldwide groups. Everybody in Denmark speaks nice English, and most of their gamers already performed in worldwide rosters. So there could be some adjustment to get used to it, however it’s choice.
I don’t bear in mind 100 Thieves’ full roster, however I’ll say that having gadget, rain, and gla1ve brings lots of expertise to nurture gamers into stars. In the event you noticed this roster 4 years in the past, it might be legendary, however possibly now a few of them have misplaced their kind and performed in worse groups that we didn’t respect as a lot, however they’re all superb and skilled.
The final crew, BC.Sport, I don’t know who they’ve signed, however I do know they’ve s1mple and electroNic.
They’ve signed a core from SAW. It’s MUTiRiS, aragornN, and krazy.
Oh… okay.
I don’t know if it can click on; I feel it can conflict a bit. I don’t understand how the Portuguese play and the way they convey, however I assume the tradition will likely be totally different from what the others are used to. However they’re all professionals; they will all adapt and do nicely.
I’d wish to see how it’s, however I feel that this roster looks like they’re nonetheless on the lookout for themselves, and possibly shopping for a core is an efficient choice as a result of they’ll get extra invitations and get to play in additional tournaments. Possibly that can assist them, however it’s as much as them to see in the event that they’re critical about it and never simply being there for enjoyable.
You stated the Spirit modifications shocked you. Why was that?
zont1x coming in was a bit extra anticipated, however chopper going out and magixx IGLing got here out of nowhere. Particularly as a result of all the things occurred so rapidly after the Main ended.
magixx IGLing, it’s the identical as when Vitality did it with apEX and when MOUZ did it with Brollan, you don’t know what to anticipate, it could possibly be actually good or unhealthy, however a lot of the current IGLs work round it rather well.
I simply didn’t count on that form of change. I believed they’d persist with chopper, after which see concerning zweih, magixx, and zont1x in the event that they assume somebody is healthier there. However I’m excited to see it, I can’t wait to see how they play, and each crew with donk goes to be aggressive. They may have a extremely good yr if it goes nicely, even when it’d appear to be a downgrade on paper.
On the finish of the day, you construct for the long run, not the brief time period. They may have a tough begin, however the Main is what issues, they usually’ll have understanding of what they should do to be good by then. They’ve all performed collectively, too, so it’s not like will probably be a shock assault or something loopy. So long as they modify, they are often actually good.
Trying Forward to 2026
Looking forward to this yr, you’ve gained a Grand Slam and back-to-back Majors, so what’s subsequent for you by way of objectives?
As at all times, you’ve got private objectives and crew objectives. As a crew, I feel we’re in a stage the place we don’t look again. Final yr isn’t a benchmark; it’s unrealistic, and if it did change into practical, we’d be very pleased with that. As a substitute, we’ll simply stay up for regaining our kind originally of the yr and peaking on the good tournaments like Krakow and Cologne, particularly.
The purpose is to play good CS, as at all times, however the dream is to win as many trophies as we are able to. We simply must rebuild once more and hold our belief in one another, and for that, we have to refine all the things and hold bettering.
On a private stage, I’d wish to get seven on HLTV this yr, too, as a result of then I’d have the jackpot quantity. However that’s not that vital.
Given all the things that you just achieved final yr, how do you handle expectations for this yr?
It’s primarily that we don’t evaluate ourselves to 2025, we simply have to have a look at the current and go off that. Many issues can change; there are huge query marks as a result of we haven’t even practised but. We all know what works for us, so we wish to concentrate on the method somewhat than the outcomes. We don’t wish to give ourselves stress that isn’t wanted.
Do you assume it’s attainable to match final yr’s efficiency and even surpass it?
In the event you got here to me in 2024 and instructed me what would occur in 2025, I wouldn’t assume it was practical. After 2025, although, even when it doesn’t really feel that manner, it might occur; you by no means know.
To get there, you simply should consider in your self and do your greatest in each second, as a result of aside from that, you don’t have management over what occurs. If Spirit comes and donk drops a 2.00 ranking with sh1ro additionally taking part in rather well, or some other crew with insane gamers, it may be random to some extent. However we hope that even when we lose, we don’t have remorse and simply know that we misplaced to a greater crew than us.
It could possibly be practical, it could possibly be far off, who is aware of? We gained 30 matches in a row, 33 or 34 best-of-threes, seven tournaments in a row, however earlier than that, if you happen to requested anybody within the scene, then nobody would have anticipated anybody to drag that off.
Assuming you assume you’re the most effective crew on this planet proper now, who do you assume are the most important threats?
We have been the most effective crew in 2025, however proper now we have to struggle for that title once more. Every little thing could possibly be totally different after the break.
FURIA have proven a extremely excessive peak, though they haven’t overwhelmed everybody but. However that’s a query mark you at all times have while you haven’t but beaqten everybody, since you marvel if you happen to really are the most effective or not. They want these matchups, however I nonetheless assume they’ll be contending.
MOUZ, I don’t know. They could possibly be actually good, however they could possibly be extra common within the high 5 like final season. Spirit, I’m excited to see. Falcons will at all times be a risk and could possibly be the most effective crew on this planet for some time, and The MongolZ will at all times have a case, too, so long as their new participant suits.
You didn’t point out FaZe there. Do you assume you’ll see them extra this yr after their Main run, or was {that a} one-off in your eyes?
Having Twistzz of their roster will give them much more, they’ll be in much more playoffs for positive. If broky and jcobbb additionally replicate their performances, they’ll be far more aggressive and might even seize just a few trophies, but when they don’t, it’ll be quite a bit harder.
They’ve a extremely good crew, they usually’re actually good at Nuke, however once they got here to the Main, they have been nonetheless a brand new crew, so we didn’t see that a lot. There’s lots of potential there, however it’s onerous to inform whether or not it’s a honeymoon or if the crew is definitely actually stable.
We simply must see extra of them, as a result of FaZe have had actually good rosters and been shit, and had unhealthy rosters and been good, however they’re at all times a crew that, in the event that they get to playoffs, will at all times be harmful. The lower-level groups take care of FaZe higher, however it’s at all times shut when the higher-level groups play them. You by no means know with them.
