apEX: ‘Annoying older man’ urging Vitality to keep grinding

Vitality beat GamerLegion 2-0 in the BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1 semi-finals to advance to the grand final, where they will face Natus Vincere in the best-of-five final. The team is led by in-game leader Dan “apEX” Madesclaire.

On Overpass, Vitality held early control but failed to close rounds on the CT side. A Desert Eagle round reduced a 10-4 lead to 10-5 and GamerLegion shifted toward B-site plays that Vitality had trouble countering.

apEX pointed to limited recent practice and prior issues on Overpass as factors in the struggle. He said, “We played a bit too passively, and didn’t get enough information” in key rounds, and added the team must be more aggressive and win more duels to prevent opponents from executing their plans.

Against Natus Vincere, Vitality recorded wins earlier this year, including a 3-0 victory in the BLAST Open Rotterdam final and a win in the IEM Rio quarter-finals that extended the map record to 5-0. apEX added he does not feel fully comfortable facing Natus Vincere and described the final as “another game” and “a new opportunity for us to win.”

apEX acknowledged the squad is fatigued, saying “I’ll be honest, I’m roasted right now.” He pointed to the roster’s younger players and recent trophy counts as motivation, noting younger members already hold multiple event wins. On team mentality he said, “I’m this annoying older man who just keeps repeating, ‘Guys, let’s fucking go again. I know you’re fried, but let’s fucking go.'”