ZywOo was named the HLTV x 1XBET Most Valuable Player of BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1 after Vitality's fifth consecutive trophy run, finishing the event with a tournament rating of 1.34 and a superb 2.18-rated Dust2 to close out the grand final against NAVI.
A humble MVP speech
Speaking to HLTV after the win, ZywOo was uncharacteristically dismissive of his own tournament. He called it "my shittiest tournament individually" despite claiming the award, and pointed toward his teammates as more deserving.
"I thought it was ropz or flameZ who were going to get it," ZywOo said. "But for once, I'll say I robbed them."
A close MVP race
flameZ was widely considered a co-favorite for the award after his own tournament production. Both he and ropz had strong runs through the group stage and into the knockout bracket. HLTV's analysts noted the vote came down to ZywOo's game-closing Dust2 performance in the Grand Final, where his 2.18 rating tipped the scales.
Career context
- Adds to ZywOo's already historic MVP collection
- Second MVP of Vitality's 2026 tournament run
- Extended Vitality's grand-final MVP dominance across the current era
Fellow Vitality players ropz, mezii and flameZ received EVP recognition in HLTV's post-event coverage. The MVP announcement came alongside HLTV's All-Star team, where three Vitality players featured despite the individual awards concentrating around ZywOo.
What's next
ZywOo confirmed the team would immediately turn its focus toward IEM Cologne 2026 preparation. The French squad enters the Major cycle as the runaway favorite in most betting markets after five consecutive tournament wins to open 2026.
