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Team Vitality have won PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, sweeping PARAVISION 3-0 in the grand final and extending their dominant run in Counter-Strike 2. The victory not only delivered another trophy to the French-led powerhouse, it also saw Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut secure a historic 30th MVP medal, further cementing his legacy at the very top of the game.

The series itself told a story of resilience, depth, and star power, with Vitality closing out the event undefeated and lifting the trophy on Dan “apEX” Madesclaire’s 33rd birthday.

Vitality Overpower PARAVISION In The Grand Final

The best-of-five grand final ended in three maps, with Vitality taking Overpass 13-10, Dust2 13-4, and Inferno 16-13 to complete the clean sweep.

Overpass, Vitality’s pick and a map they had already won nine times in a row heading into the match, started shakily. PARAVISION opened with a 4-0 streak thanks to strong impact from captain Dzhami “Jame” Ali. Once rifles came out, Vitality stabilised, stringing together seven rounds to flip the half. A late push from PARAVISION threatened a comeback, but a force-buy round capped by a Deagle 1v2 from Robin “ropz” Kool crushed the momentum and sealed the map.

Dust2 was far more one-sided. Vitality entered with an eleven-map win streak on the map dating back to November, and it showed. William “mezii” Merriman anchored the B bombsite superbly on the CT side as Vitality stormed to a 9-3 half. PARAVISION briefly found life after a stuck defuse incident, but Vitality’s immediate force-buy response shut that down, closing the map 13-4.

Inferno delivered the drama. PARAVISION fought back after an early Vitality lead, winning key scrappy rounds including a ninja defuse from Jame and a crucial 1v2 from Ivan “zweih” Gogin, the recent addition from Spirit who has already elevated the roster. PARAVISION even pushed the map to overtime after a 1v2 from Vladislav “xiELO” Lysov. However, Vitality regained control in OT, finishing 16-13 to lock the series.

FlameZ Steps Up Alongside ZywOo

While ZywOo has been the headline act throughout the tournament, the grand final highlighted Vitality’s depth. Shahar “flameZ” Shushan delivered a 1.48 rating across the series, including a massive quad kill on Inferno that kickstarted Vitality’s comeback from an 11-6 deficit.

ZywOo still produced signature moments, including a jaw-dropping spray transfer in a 1v2 clutch on Inferno, and he finished the event with a 1.39 overall rating. Across six matches in Romania, all against teams ranked inside the top 11, he posted a staggering 1.44 median map rating.

His closest competitor for the MVP medal was flameZ, who edged him slightly in playoff rating, but ZywOo’s dominant 1.41-rated group stage ensured the award was never truly in doubt.

ZywOo Claims 30th Career MVP Medal

With this victory, ZywOo reached an extraordinary milestone: 30 career MVP medals. That puts him nine clear of Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev in second place on the all-time list.

At just 25 years old and already a four-time Player of the Year, ZywOo is entering what many would consider his peak years. The gap between him and the rest of the field is widening, and Vitality’s consistency only amplifies that advantage.

For the broader Counter-Strike scene, it is a daunting reality. When your superstar is performing at this level and your supporting cast is firing as well, stopping Vitality becomes a near-impossible task.

Vitality Extend Their Era In 2026

PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 marks Vitality’s second title of the season, following their IEM Kraków 2026 win. Since adding ropz in January 2025, this is their 11th tournament victory, and they remain undefeated at this event.

Their path in Cluj-Napoca was far from easy. Vitality went 3-0 in the group stage, defeating G2, The MongolZ, and MOUZ. In playoffs, they eliminated Aurora and The MongolZ again before overcoming PARAVISION in the final.

For apEX, the birthday trophy added a layer of personal meaning. Reflecting on the win, he noted that he had won his first Major in Cluj-Napoca eleven years ago as a 22-year-old entry fragger, making this moment feel like a full-circle achievement.

PARAVISION Prove They Belong At The Top

Despite the loss, PARAVISION continue to impress in 2026. After winning BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 and making another deep run here, they have firmly established themselves as a serious contender.

Their addition of zweih has already paid dividends, and they defeated FaZe, G2, Falcons, and MOUZ on their way to the grand final. While Vitality ended the underdog narrative this time, PARAVISION have shown that their rise is not a fluke.

With Cologne on the horizon and Vitality chasing further history, the 2026 CS2 season is shaping up to be a defining chapter in the battle for the greatest era of all time.