Vitality flameZ: “Our main goal is the Shanghai Major coming next”

IEM Cologne, the cathedral of Counter-Strike, is one of the best events you could ever have. The 2024 edition wrapped up just a few days ago and after an intense Grand Final, Vitality claimed the IEM Cologne title with a 3-1 win over NaVi. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Shahar "flameZ" Shushan for a post-match interview to talk about the final, the atmosphere, and their expectations for the future.

Shahar "flameZ" Shushan joined Vitality in June last year and can be considered as a relatively newcomer to the team. They won Gamers8, and BLAST Final during the past year, but winning the Counter-Strike Hall of Fame tournament IEM Cologne might have a different meaning for him.

Esports.gg: Congratulations on the win! How are you feeling right now?

flameZ: I’m feeling amazing, to be honest. This is probably the best day of my career so far. This trophy is the biggest one I’ve ever achieved, and the final was so intense. It felt really good to win this one. I’m very glad that we competed in this tournament, and I’m really happy with myself.

Esports.gg: We saw a lot of close maps, especially on Mirage, which went to three overtimes. Did you expect it to be such a long match?

flameZ: Honestly, I didn’t expect it to go on for so long. After we won three rounds in overtime, I thought they might lose the gas. But it kept going. It's better when you are winning, you’re happy with it. I think for the viewers, it was an intense, fun match to watch, with all those close battles. We are really proud that we managed to close out Mirage. It was crucial to win it in this best-of-five.

Esports.gg: What did you do during the player break coming into this tournament?

flameZ: Before this one, we had the World Cup, and we really wanted to win it. We didn’t do as well as we’d hoped, but we kept grinding. During the player break, everyone took a good vacation, spent time with family and friends, and really recharged.

It’s important to take some time off, not even touching CS for a while, so you come back with a hunger for the game. That break helped us reset and get back into form, and we kept grinding hard afterward. I think that’s what pushed us to perform so well in this tournament.

Esports.gg: How did the atmosphere in the arena influence your performance?

flameZ: The atmosphere definitely helped us as a team. We thrive on the energy from the crowd. Having the Golden Hornets next to us—our best fans—was incredible. I also really liked hearing the Na'Vi fans screaming; the back-and-forth between the fans was exciting. It was nice to have that clash of support.

Esports.gg: You always seem to perform better in the playoffs. What is it about the stage that brings out the best in you?

flameZ: When you’re on stage, you want to do something special—you want those crazy highlights. For us, every playoff is THE tournament. Obviously, we need to win group stages, but the real tournament comes when you are on the stage. The crowd, the energy—it pushes you to your limits. I think it’s easier to focus and shine a bit more when you’re in that environment.

Esports.gg: This year(2024) seems like kind of a winless year for Vitality. After lifting the trophy in Lanxess Arena, what are your expectations for the next half of the year?

flameZ: Right now, we have a lot of confidence. The Pro League is coming up and it's such a long tournament that it's hard to predict anything. Our main goal is to win the Shanghai Major, to be the team of the year. As we said, we haven't won any tournaments, but winning Cologne has given us the confidence we need, and the consistency we had, and now we're going to push through to get the trophy.

Esports.gg: Thank you for coming today. We wish you all the best in Shanghai.

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