ZywOo’s perspective on his team, legacy, and bringing positivity to Counter-Strike: “anyone else smiling… that makes me happier than anything else”
Shouldering an elevated reputation, the competitive environment, and a positive attitude seemingly comes naturally for Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut. Pressure from Team Vitality’s trophy “era” is like water running off a duck’s back.
Hannah Marie ZT sits down with ZywOo at BLAST Open Fall London for a brutally honest insight into the mind of a Counter-Strike legend.
Congratulations on last month, which was the Esports Awards, you won Breakthrough Player of the Decade.
Hopefully, you’re coming in here on a bit of a confidence high from that?
ZywOo: I would say it’s a bit rough for us, if I’m honest. So, confidence, I wouldn’t say yes. We don’t have the same confidence as the first half of the year.
It’s tough to say. Obviously, we are working hard, and I would say we have confidence about the work we are putting into the server and putting in as a team. So, I’m confident about the comeback of a great face for us.
There’s no pressure about this tournament. I think we are here to try and play our best, and that’s going to be the goal.
ZywOo, you mentioned the transition from the early 2025 season to now and how things have shifted.
Do you feel like the pressure on you has shifted in that time?
ZywOo: I don’t know if it’s the pressure, or because we did such a good first half, but obviously, we play less individually, we’re less good. All this kind of stuff is tougher for everyone.
When you bring back this kind of stuff into the server, I think it’s tough to play good.
It was just… the small details. Those are hard for us to play with. So that’s why it’s been tougher the past two months.
I don’t think it’s about the pressure as much, or about losing. We are just missing something inside the team, but it’s going to come out.
Part of this period, the change from early season to now, is that you unfortunately lost Team Manager Amy.
How have you guys adjusted? You achieved some great things with her on the team. How have you moved through that?
ZywOo: Since Amy left our team, I don’t think we have changed that much in terms of our routine or the things we do inside the team.
We still have the same routine, we still have the same teamwork, we still have the same preparation before the game.
All this kind of stuff between us, between the team, didn’t change at all. I think we are still of the same mentality as the first time.
It’s probably quite a benefit that the ZywOo and Apex duo have been playing together since 2018.
Two more have been on the team since 2018, and only one new guy from the start of this year. Compare that to other teams who are making a lot of changes: Falcons, HEROIC, Team Spirit, they’re switching things up. Do you think Team Vitality have a bit of an edge because of your consistency?
ZywOo: I will say yes. When you have the habit of playing together, I think we are one step ahead to being consistent.
But, for those teams, I think they had to make some changes – Team Spirit, HEROIC, Falcons. They’re trying to find out how to be really consistent in terms of Semifinals and Finals, to really go far in any tournament. So, they had to make some changes.
I think if the team say it, or if a player has the feeling that you need to change, I think it’s the best for them as well.
For all the teams that did that, I think its been pretty good for G2 to make those changes. Falcons as well, I think they’re playing better.
Spirit… lets see what is going to happen to them. We still don’t know. There are so many teams. We still don’t know.
Even though you pointed out the difference between early 2025 ZywOo/Vitality season and now, Team Vitality obviously haven’t fallen off a cliff.
You’re still a very good team, and you still work well together. What’s your response to the more negative people who say the era is over?
ZywOo: I think the only way we can respond is to say we are not really looking at it.
For me, losing one game or two games or only playing two or three semifinals, it doesn’t really matter. Because we know how good the team is, like you said before, and the way we can challenge anyone.
So for me, it’s not only about what people say. It’s just about how we can react to the server.
Obviously, it’s been rough, but like we said before, we know how we can come back, how we can be strong together.
We have the same team as the first half, and we just need small details in the game: if we bring back five more per cent from everyone, if individually we are good as well.
In terms of individually, I don’t think we are playing so good as well. So, if we bring back all this kind of stuff, Team Vitality can be back in the game really easily.
Obviously, we are not scared of that. We are not really focused on the rest, what they are saying or not.
People don’t know how hard it is to be at the top, winning all the tournaments, being able to go far in the tournament.
We know we have a job; we know when we didn’t have the job done. But, we are not scared to go back.
And pressure on yourself as well, with a very large catalogue of MVPs and trophies and praise.
Obviously, the overall goal with a tournament like this is to win. Team Vitality is certainly one of the favourites to do so on Counter-Strike betting sites. But, I also know that with a team, this is a long season, it’s a big journey. There are micro goals that are also involved. What are some of the goals for this tournament aside from just taking the trophy home?
ZywOo: I mean, for us, the main reason for this tournament is also for Mezii. He’s going to play in front of his family, on home soil.
So we are going to do it for him.
That’s also a freaking good reason to play. If you want any goal, I think that’s a goal.
So we’re going to do that for him.
Last time in London, we were disappointed about the tournament, the way we played and the way we showed up. I don’t think we want to do the same.
When you play in front of your home soil, in front of your parents, family, friends… it’s something special. And I don’t think any player wants to miss that.
Even though we are already in the semifinals, I think the best is to go to the parents, family, and to do that for Mezii.
What about for you as a player, as an individual?
Are you looking at things like improving T-side stats, specific map picks, anything like that that you’re focusing on?
ZywOo: Of course, we want to play good as a team, obviously.
We don’t have a goal for CT or T. We just want to play good as a team. I think that’s our strength right now, even before, was to think about how can we play good as a team.
I think we have to do it now if we want to bring back the fire inside of us.
So we’re going to do that.
Also, individually, I think it’s going to be important for us to show a really good face and to show that we are not done, we are still here.
Individually, we need to show great teamplay, great individuality inside of the team. I think we’re going to be happy with what we’re going to show. That’s going to be the main thing.
You always very much think within the context of the team, not as “just ZywOo.”
Even though you’re often platformed as a very successful player and one of the greats of Counter-Strike, you always have that mentality of being very set and established within which you’re playing.
Do you think that sets you apart from other big names like Donk at the moment, S1mple back in the day? They’re often held to the same height, but you always seem to have had a stronger team focus than they have. People talk about the individual performance so much more with them.
With you, it’s more about how good you can work within the framework that you have.
ZywOo: I think it’s also the main thing.
We are playing a team game, and that’s the most important thing for me.
Like you say, it’s the team in general. For me, I always take this example: whenever I win something individually, I’m the only one to be happy. I’m the only one who enjoys it because that’s my trophy. I won it alone.
But when I won a team trophy, like in a tournament, when you see anyone else smiling or having some tears, like having goosebumps about the moment or anything like this, that makes me happier than anything else.
So that’s also what boosts me to play as a team and to be more present for them.
I’m just trying to be with my team because you’re spending so much time with them.
You always seem like such a happy and positive player.
I’m wondering, all that frustration that comes with the game, do you just express that via Apex?
ZywOo: I mean, we do have some frustration. We are human.
You’re like the Yin and Yang, you know, you get the happy side, he just expresses the frustration.
ZywOo: Sometimes it’s all the way around, and I’m the frustrated guy!
He’s trying to be the happy guy sometimes. I love that. Well, good luck for the tournament ahead!
Follow Esports News UK’s on-site Counter-Strike coverage for BLAST Open Fall London 2025 to keep up-to-date with player interviews and tournament content. BLAST Open Fall London runs from September 5th to 7th, 2025. The Grand Final on Sunday, September 7th, will crown a new BLAST Open champion for this season.
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