ZywOo and apEX Have Extended Their Team Vitality Contracts

ZywOo and apEX will stay on Team Vitality for at least another two years: the duo have just extended their contracts. Here’s a recap.

ZywOo and apEX Extend Their Team Vitality Contracts Until 2028

When Counter-Strike fans think of Team Vitality, they think of Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and Dan “apEX” Madesclaire. The duo are the longest-standing members of the French team’s core lineup. Both joined in early October 2018, arriving at the start of Vitality’s Counter-Strike efforts.

In the eight years since, the team has become one of the sphere’s most successful, winning three majors and crushing international circuits. Vitality is notoriously disciplined, consistently ranking within the industry’s top contenders. As an AWPer and IGL respectively, ZywOo and apEX were key contributors to the org’s accomplishments during this era.

Originally, the pair’s contracts only extended to 2026. Now, Team Vitality has announced ZywOo and apEX have extended their stay until at least 2028.

In an X.com post, Team Vitality confirmed “THE GOAT AND THE CAPTAIN […] RENEWED UNTIL 2028.”

THE GOAT AND THE CAPTAIN

RENEWED UNTIl 2028 🐝 https://t.co/21LrUaRT0t pic.twitter.com/vsWw3vH5jd

— Team Vitality CS (@TeamVitalityCS) August 19, 2026

The team also included a quick video, captioned “when legacy becomes legendary.” The montage highlighted the pair’s strongest moments, including Vitality’s Major and Grand Slam wins.

ZywOo and apEX Plan to Stay on Team Vitality

ZywOo commented about the move on his personal account, calling it “the right decision”:

“It’s been my home for the last 8 years, and extending my contract with [Team Vitality] felt like the right decision. We all share the same ambition: to keep winning trophies and stay at the top. I’m very thankful the support and proud of what we achieved. We are not done yet.”

apEX issued a similar post, reiterating that he hopes to stay on Team Vitality until his retirement. The IGL wrote, “Staying in the best club in the world for 2 more years. Always said that I wanted to conclude my career wearing the [Team Vitality] jersey and I will give my very best to make sure I end up on top. Can’t wait to hear you chant my name a bit longer.”

What Does This Mean for Counter-Strike Esports?

Team Vitality snatched up trophies at the StarLadder Budapest and BLAST.tv Austin Majors in 2025, entering the year as one of the teams to watch. Throughout early 2026, it secured an ESL Grand Slam VI first-place trophy, powered through BLAST seasonal events, and swept IEM Krakow and IEM Rio.

However, the org is going through some key roster shifts at the moment. apEX and another team member, mezii, are becoming fathers, so the org has called in temporary stand-ins to fill their shoes while they take paternity leave. NaVi star Justinas “jL” Lekavičius is one such player, and will be participating with the team at the BLAST Open Fall 2026 and PGL Masters Bucharest.

Statement regarding IEM Beijing 🇨🇳 https://t.co/wp3Blyd50g pic.twitter.com/aFLW56CQ9P

— Team Vitality CS (@TeamVitalityCS) August 13, 2026

Vitality also opted to decline its IEM Beijing invite for this reason: “To accommodate apEX and mezii taking their paternity leave, we needed to make adjustments to our competitive schedule.”

“Instead of attending IEM Beijing with a substitute IGL, which limits our practice time,” Vitality said, “we have opted to attend events where our full roster can be present to make the most of our limited preparation window as possible in order to secure valuable VRS points ahead of the Major.”

ZywOo and apEX’s contract extension signals a long-term investment in the team’s consistently high-performing roster. The industry is watching to see if the Vitality bees can finish 2026 strong and continue its formidable run despite its roster switch-ups.

Stay tuned for more Counter-Strike esports and in-game news.