Team Vitality have once again etched their name into Counter-Strike history, matching Astralis’ long-standing record of 19 consecutive top-four finishes at Big Events. The milestone was reached at BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026, where the French-led international roster dominated the group stage without dropping a single map to secure their place in the semifinals.
The record that Vitality now jointly hold with Astralis was set in the Danish side’s prime era of dominance, widely regarded as the greatest era in CS history. Alongside all the other records that Vitality have broken, many set by Astralis in 2018-19, the top-four record only further cements their place in the Greatest Team of All Time conversation.
How Vitality matched Astralis’ record of top-four finishes
BLAST Open Rotterdam has been a statement performance from Vitality so far. The team moved through the group stage without dropping a single map, eventually taking down PARIVISION to lock in the semifinals spot. Across the event Vitality’s players have averaged an incredible 1.29 rating across the board, with Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut putting up a massive 1.62 rating. Only Spirit’s prodigal rifler, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, has exceeded that level with a 1.70 rating.
Related—ZywOo Claims Fourth HLTV #1, Surpassing s1mple’s Record
The streak of top-fours itself extends all the way back to IEM Katowice 2025, the start of Vitality’s era of dominance. Across the first season of 2025, the team simply refused to let go of any trophies, racking up seven in a row. After the player break, the team was in a slump relative to their peak, but still maintained their presence in the semi-finals of every event.
That kind of sustained excellence is what makes Vitality so incredible. Even the greatest teams of all time, bar Astralis, haven’t hit the same sustained peaks. Notably, Fnatic don’t feature on the top 10, while NIP only make it to eight Big Events in a row (though some of that has to do with the death of Big Events during 2012-2015).
Can Vitality beat Astralis’ record?
Vitality will head to IEM Rio next, with their sights set on their second ESL Grand Slam. Despite nearly all top teams also joining them in Brazil, Vitality remain an incredibly strong favorite to win the event. If they manage to lift the trophy, they will not only break the top-four record, but will also become the first team to win two ESL Grand Slams in Counter-Strike.
Related—Vitality apEX: ‘My temperament can lead my team, but it can also make them lose’
As Dan “apEX” Madesclaire reiterates in every interview, the team is no longer competing with their contemporary peers. Instead Vitality is now shadowboxing with Astralis alone. With the IEM Cologne Major looming on the horizon, and the prospect of another ESL Grand Slam in Rio, Vitality will hope to move past Astralis into a league of their own.
