William "mezii" Merriman has opened up about the strange experience of missing BLAST Open Porto while his Vitality teammates competed without him. The British player took time off for the birth of his second child, watching the tournament from home in less-than-ideal conditions.
"It's never fun watching from home," mezii explained after Vitality's convincing win over FURIA at StarSeries Fall. "I definitely had a different viewing experience to probably most people. Got my two-year-old running around screaming with toys whilst I'm trying to watch the boys play."
The rifler described the feeling of being absent as uniquely uncomfortable, comparing it to social exclusion. "It's so weird when you're not there; it's like all your friends are at a party, and you're not invited," he said. Despite being back on the server, mezii admitted he's still shaking off some rust and dealing with illness, something he attributes to having young children.
Vitality secured their spot in the upper bracket final with a strong performance, looking more like the dominant force they were earlier in the year. The team has faced a chaotic season with both mezii and Dan "apEX" Madesclaire taking paternity leave at different times, requiring stand-in jL to fill in at certain events.
Looking ahead, mezii emphasized that the Major remains the primary focus for the season. "The main goal has always been the Major," he stated. "Any trophies we can pick up on the way is great, but the Major is the big one, especially after how Cologne went for us."
As for fatherhood advice for apEX, who is expecting his first child, mezii kept it simple: "I basically just said good luck to him. Tired is just the new normal."
