Team Vitality make BLAST London Final, backed by mezii’s home crowd

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 06/09/2025

Team Vitality secure their spot in the BLAST London Final with a 2-0 win over MOUZ.

Despite a calculated approach to the game, MOUZ were unable to overcome the BLAST London home team (with Brit William ‘mezii’ Merriman on Vitality’s roster) and exit the tournament.

Team Vitality crushes MOUZ’s dreams in 2-0 Semifinal

Overcoming their loss to MOUZ during IEM Cologne, Team Vitality seemed to make critical improvements to their individual and team performance. 

After taking Map 1 (Mirage) 13-7, Team Vitality were able to maintain momentum to Map 2 (Inferno). MOUZ remained hot on Vitality’s heels, determined to keep their own hopes of a BLAST London Final alive. 

Nevertheless, Vitality appeared to be an unstoppable force, from tactics to gunfights. Inferno ended similarly to Mirage, with a 13-8 score for the home favourites.

Despite MOUZ presenting an almost clinical approach to their gameplay (including many saves, much to the dismay of the London crowd), Team Vitality had an adaptability that MOUZ could not match. Combined with an impressive ability to win unarmoured rounds and strong encouragement from fans, Vitality were unstoppable.

Following the game, MOUZ’s Jimi ‘Jimpphat’ Salo discussed where they struggled. Summarising the most significant challenges, Jimpphat admitted that “they read us.” From MOUZ’s perspective, “We tried to do it, but it just didn’t go our way. Sometimes you just don’t get the kills, and then it’s really tough.”

MOUZ did appear to often correctly interpret Vitality’s game plan on Mirage, but Vitality were continuously able to power through. Regarding this, Jimpphat credited the team, acknowledging, “They’re individually some of the best players on their good days.”

Overall, he admitted, “They completely deserved the win against us.”

Is the Team Vitality era back with their BLAST London Final opportunity?

Team Vitality’s confirmed BLAST London Final participation cements them as the firm favourites on Counter-Strike betting sites to win the Open Fall trophy.

In his interview with Esports News UK on his team, legacy, and bringing positivity to Counter-Strike, star player Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut explained how the Team Vitality roster was navigating confidence during the tournament. 

Although their early 2025 success has faded, ZywOo was easily able to pinpoint a key performance hindrance over the past few 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.”

He also emphasised that having less confidence in the second half of the year does not mean losing faith in their ability. ZywOo explained that, “we know how good the team is,” and that the roster also still recognised “the way we can challenge anyone.”

This mindset was on full display during the Team Vitality vs MOUZ game.

Next, Team Vitality will need to overcome the Open Fall’s underdogs to claim the BLAST London Final victory.

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.

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Hannah is a journalist specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports, Apex Legends, and advocating for women's esports initiatives. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ALGS LANs, ESI London, EGX, and watch parties.

All Posts By Hannah Marie ZT