Team Vitality has successfully reclaimed championship form by winning the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 tournament. The French powerhouse defeated Aurora Gaming in a four-map Grand Final showdown held in Barcelona, bringing an end to a troubling 140-day period without silverware.
Both squads arrived at the finals with impressive credentials. Aurora Gaming maintained an undefeated streak through the upper bracket, taking down NAVI, NRG, and even Vitality along the way. The eventual champions lost just a single match en route to the decisive series.
The Grand Final opened on Aurora's Anubis selection, where Vitality immediately seized control. Mezii delivered an exceptional display as his team built a 9-3 first-half advantage on the CT side. Aurora couldn't mount a comeback, and with ZywOo dominating on offense, Vitality closed the map 13-4.
Inferno brought Aurora back into contention. Despite Vitality's early three-round lead, the Turkish squad rallied behind woxic and kyxsan to take a 7-5 halftime edge. Aurora pushed ahead 12-6 in the second half, but Vitality's firepower shone through with five consecutive rounds. Wicadia and Jimpphat kept Aurora alive just long enough to avoid overtime and secure a 13-12 victory.
Returning to their Mirage pick, Vitality delivered another commanding performance. After briefly trailing 4-3, they rattled off ten straight rounds to close out the map convincingly. ZywOo and flameZ led the charge while mezii continued his decisive contributions.
The final battleground was Cache, where Aurora needed perfection to force a fifth map. They claimed the pistol and anti-eco rounds, but ZywOo's brilliance helped Vitality establish a 7-5 halftime lead. The French side won six of eight rounds on their CT side to seal a 13-7 victory. FlameZ's mid-round control proved instrumental throughout. ZywOo finished the series with a 71-44 scoreline and earned tournament MVP honors.
This triumph marks Vitality's first championship since their dominance earlier in 2026. After winning five consecutive titles and securing an Intel Grand Slam in the year's first half, the team stumbled heading into IEM Cologne Major. Quarterfinal exits at IEM Atlanta and the Major itself, followed by disappointing results at BLAST qualifiers and Esports World Cup, raised questions about whether their reign had ended.
With mezii rejoining the roster after paternity leave, Vitality demonstrated renewed strength at StarSeries Fall. They swept past magic and FURIA before losing to Aurora in the upper bracket. However, they bounced back emphatically, defeating FURIA again and ultimately avenging their loss to Aurora in the Grand Final. This sixth trophy of the season also brings crucial VRS points as they aim to reclaim the number one ranking with the Singapore Major approaching in two months.
