Team Vitality claimed its first championship of the 2026 Counter-Strike 2 season on Sunday, defeating FURIA 3-1 in the grand final of the inaugural Intel Extreme Masters Kraków. The best-of-five series, played before a live crowd at the Tauron Arena, lasted more than four hours and marked the first major LAN final of the year.

The victory continues Vitality’s strong run following its recognition as Team of the Year at the 2025 HLTV Awards. With a retooled competitive calendar and a new host city, IEM Kraków represented a fresh chapter for one of esports’ longest-running tournament circuits, and Vitality emerged as its first champion.

Vitality entered the playoffs as a top seed after a dominant group stage, earning a direct semifinal berth with clean 2-0 wins over BC.G, 3DMAX and Aurora. The European squad maintained its form in the semifinals, sweeping MOUZ to set up a title match against Brazilian contender FURIA.

The grand final opened with a close loss on Mirage, but Vitality responded with a decisive performance on Inferno to even the series. Momentum shifted further on Nuke, where Vitality controlled the pace on both sides of the map. The team closed out the championship on Overpass, securing the series 3-1 and the event title.

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was named tournament MVP after a consistent showing throughout the event, anchoring Vitality’s late-round play and posting key performances in the final maps. The win marked the roster’s first trophy of the year and reinforced its status as the world’s top-ranked team early in the season.

TEAM VITALITY WINS BACK-TO-BACK IN POLAND

IEM Kraków follows last year’s event in Katowice, giving Vitality consecutive Intel Extreme Masters titles on Polish soil. The Kraków stop also marked the tournament series’ debut in the city, signaling an expansion of its European footprint.

The result extends a period of sustained success for Vitality, which closed 2025 with an ESL Grand Slam, a 30-match winning streak and multiple major championships. While those achievements set a high bar, the team’s early-season win suggests continuity rather than complacency.

Vitality’s next appearance is scheduled for the ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals, set to begin March 13 in Sweden.