ropz: Vitality still have more to give

Robin “ropz” Kool believes Vitality still have more to give after the team reverse-swept Falcons in Katowice. The win ended a run of almost a year without a victory over Falcons.

Vitality has remained competitive despite lineup changes. The team reached a semifinal with jL and entered the ESL Pro League group stage in strong form. Ropz averaged a 1.39 rating in the group stage, while four Vitality players had ratings of at least 1.29 after three matches in Katowice.

The team has accepted the sacrifices required to attend tournaments without its full lineup. Ropz acknowledged that the situation had affected motivation because the changes had been discussed since the start of the year, leaving the players with limited expectations at some events.

“Personally, for me, it’s hard to find the same level of motivation when you know, way before, that there are going to be two tournaments where there’s going to be no expectation,” ropz said. “But I think it’s just something we all accept. As long as things don’t go too bad, in the end it’s just one tournament. For them, it’s a very massive moment and it’s really important in life.”

Vitality has also managed the absence of William “mezii” Merriman during the period. Ropz noted that the players were giving up time with their loved ones to continue competing, while describing the lineup changes as temporary.

The circumstances prompted discussion of Astralis, whose roster was affected by player breaks, missed events and burnout. Ropz acknowledged similarities between the situations but rejected the idea that Vitality was nearing the same outcome.

“You could draw some lines, it’s maybe similar in this case, but I think the thing is we still feel like, as individuals at least, we have a lot more to give and we’re not done with anything,” he said. “We said so many times, we’re lucky to have this five, and we will do anything to be good again.”

Ropz described the Falcons match as difficult because opponents often raise their level against Vitality. He said teams know they are facing one of the strongest teams in Counter-Strike, while Falcons have repeatedly produced strong individual performances against them.

The victory was also ropz’s first against former teammate Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s Falcons in almost a year. Although the players know each other’s styles, ropz said he no longer focuses on potential mind games during their matches.

He also discussed the effect of practice demos being available in Counter-Strike 2. Teams can review opponents’ practice matches and share information, making new strategies and grenade setups harder to keep private.

“Whenever you come up with a brand-new strat or maybe some really unique grenades, those spread like wildfire when you play them once in practice,” ropz said. “You have to elevate your strategy in terms of what you show in practice or what you play, because it can be no surprise to anyone what you do next.”

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