This Tuesday, at Trocadéro, Team Vitality, the leading esports club in France, put an end to the suspense surrounding the future of its superstar Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, considered today as the best player in the world in the game Counter -Strike (CS). While the announcement of his extension was slow to materialize, ZywOo finally decided to extend the adventure with the bee club – which he joined in 2018 – until 2026.
A choice that the main party explained as follows: “I have always seen Team Vitality as a family where I can flourish and develop my full potential. I feel there is a strong bond of unity, it is my second home. I also wanted to stay because I believe enormously in our project, in my team. I think we have an incredible line-up. In 2023, I had some great experiences and managed to win a Major with my teammates. I am delighted to continue this adventure with the club, I am convinced that we can go even further together.
For Fabien Devide, the president of Team Vitality, there is a combination of satisfaction and relief in the announcement of this extension which is so important for his franchise: “One of the greatest responsibilities I have had to manage as founder and President of Team Vitality was to ensure that this young 18-year-old player who joined us in 2018 could one day be crowned the best player in the world and win a Major. Thanks to his exceptional individual skills, he very quickly managed to become the best player in the world (…) In the years to come, we will continue to help him in his evolution towards a leadership role. He will take up even more space because he is not only the face of our future team but also that of Team Vitality.
In 2023, ZywOo, aged 23, had the best year of his career by winning five major tournaments (being voted MVP each time) as well as the Major organized at the AccorArena in Paris, the most important title which exists on CS. A track record that has earned him the affectionate nickname “The Chosen One” within the Counter-Strike community. “This is the third time in his career that ZywOo has extended with us since 2018,” adds Fabien Devide. “We are proud to have such magical talent among our athletes. I even think that he deserves even more light on a national scale – in the same way as an Mbappé in football, a Karabatic in handball or even a Wembanyama in basketball. ZywOo is part of this generation of great French champions.”