Team Vitality have been relegated to the lower bracket of Group C at EWC 2026 after suffering a shocking 2-1 defeat against B8. This marks their second consecutive series loss this season, following an earlier upset by Liquid in BLAST Bounty's Round of 32.
French coach Rémy "XTQZZZ" Quoniam didn't mince words when analyzing his team's performance. "We played really badly overall," he stated bluntly. Despite winning the opening map in overtime, Vitality lost their own pick on Inferno and were decisively beaten on Dust2.
The coach emphasized that the team had no legitimate excuses for the defeat. "We knew them well. We played them in practice on Dust2, and they played kind of the same," XTQZZZ explained. He pointed to a fundamental problem: lack of confidence. "I can see so many rounds we hesitate to make a decision, not even the right decision, but to play with more courage," he said.
What makes the loss particularly frustrating for XTQZZZ is that he believes the preparation was solid. "I think we had really good preparation. That's why it sucks right now because I think we did a good job. But mentally we are not there," the coach admitted.
Regarding the stand-in situation with Justinas "jL" Lekavicius for upcoming events, XTQZZZ confirmed the Lithuanian was their best available option among several candidates. When asked about who will take over in-game leading duties, the coach remained mysterious, only offering a smile and "We will see."
Facing elimination, Vitality must now defeat Lynn Vision to keep their playoff hopes alive. XTQZZZ made it clear what's at stake: "We have to; otherwise, it's going to be a huge fail. First, think about what happened today, have a big talk and finally show what we are capable of."
