“ZywOo, Go Kill”: mezii Talks About Vitality’s Plans for PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 Without apEX

Team Vitality will compete at PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 without their long-time captain, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire. William “mezii” Merriman will temporarily take over the in-game leader role and has already joked about the team's strategy for the upcoming tournament.

In an interview with the TL;DR on CS2 YouTube channel, mezii shared his thoughts on Vitality's current form following their victory at ESL Pro League Season 24. According to the British player, the team is close to returning to its peak performance, although the upcoming roster changes will present a serious challenge.

“I think we came as close as possible to our best form at EPL S24. One of the biggest achievements during our era has been consistency. Even at tournaments we didn't win, we still performed at a high level. The key is maintaining that level throughout an entire event,” mezii explained.

The player also joked about taking over the captain's responsibilities from apEX:

“Things will be a little different at PGL Masters Bucharest because we'll be playing without apEX. Hopefully, the 'ZywOo, go kill' strategy will work when I'm the one calling the shots. We'll see if we can lift the trophy.”

"1. “ZywOo, Go Kill”: mezii Talks About Vitality’s Plans for PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 Without apEX","1.1. Why Is apEX Missing the Tournament?","1.2. Vitality Heads Into the Tournament After a Dominant EPL S24 Victory","1.3. Can Vitality Win Without Their Captain?"

Why Is apEX Missing the Tournament?

Vitality's French captain will miss PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 for family reasons, as he is expecting the birth of his child.

Former Natus Vincere player Justinas “jL” Lekavicius will step in as a temporary replacement, while mezii will take over the in-game leader (IGL) role.

This is an unusual situation for Vitality. The team will need to adapt to a new captain and a stand-in player just before a major LAN event. Despite the roster's impressive individual skill, losing their established leader could affect communication, coordination, and decision-making during matches.

Vitality Heads Into the Tournament After a Dominant EPL S24 Victory

On October 11, Team Vitality claimed the ESL Pro League Season 24 championship after sweeping MOUZ 3-0 in the grand final.

The French organization secured victories on all three maps:

• Cache – 13:8

• Inferno – 13:7

• Dust2 – 16:12

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was the standout performer in the final, finishing the series with an impressive 1.65 rating according to HLTV. The French superstar also earned the tournament's MVP award.

The victory marked Vitality's fourth ESL Pro League title in the organization's history and its seventh trophy of 2026. It was also the team's second consecutive tournament win following its triumph at StarLadder StarSeries Fall in September.

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Can Vitality Win Without Their Captain?

PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 kicks off on October 24. For Vitality, the event will be an opportunity to prove that they can still compete for championships without their long-time leader.

Much will depend on how quickly mezii adjusts to his new responsibilities as captain and how well jL integrates into the team's system.

And, of course, ZywOo's individual performance will be crucial. If the French superstar maintains the same level he demonstrated at ESL Pro League Season 24, Vitality will remain a serious contender for another trophy.