Log in

Team Vitality Unveils CS2 Academy Roster

Team Vitality Unveils CS2 Academy Roster

Counter-Strike 2

22 Apr, 2026, 17:14

Team Vitality has officially launched its CS2 academy team, formerly Project H.

Fresh off becoming the most dominant organization in Counter-Strike 2 history, with the IEM Rio 2026 championship just days behind them, Vitality isn't stopping there. The French organization is now betting on the future with a five-player academy squad built around some of Europe's most promising young talent.

Meet the Roster

The lineup is international and loaded with potential, spanning five different nationalities across Europe:

Kirill "Dafra1D" Polieyko (Ukraine, 19)
Thibault "Katkame" Hulice (France, 16)
Luca-Adrian "lucaZ" Gavrilut (Romania, 17)
Alex "Reqqen" Frolov (Estonia, 16)
Patrick "patrenzo" Hauer (Slovakia, 17)

The team will be coached by Pablo "VdaK1NG" Escobar, a former analyst for Vitality's main roster who decided to go all-in on developing the next generation.

More Than Just a Farm Team

This isn't just a scouting operation. Academy players will train alongside the main roster's stars and take part in joint review sessions. Vitality has also already set up a fast-track mechanism: lucaZ has been named the first official substitute for the main team, meaning the path from academy to T1 is as short as it gets.

Co-founder Fabien "Neo" Devide was clear about the vision: this is an investment in the entire esports ecosystem, inspired by the blueprint laid out by clubs like NAVI, MOUZ, and Spirit, all of whom have had massive success grooming talent through their own academies.

With top-tier player prices at an all-time high in 2026, developing your own talent is simply smarter business.

Already Making Noise

Vitality Academy didn't even wait for the official announcement to start winning. Before the reveal, the squad had already qualified for the ESEA Season 56 Finals and knocked out Metizport in CCT qualifiers.

Their competitive schedule is set to include DraculaN series tournaments, where they'll go up against T1 and T2-level teams. The perfect proving ground to show the world that the next generation of Vitality is very much for real.

Don't forget to follow Strafe Esports for the latest news on your favorite esports titles, and check out our X profile for the most recent content and coverage.

Also, stay tuned to the Strafe YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and much more.

Featured Image Credit: Team Vitality

Read More:

Vitality Are Unstoppable: Champions of IEM Rio 2026 and History's Greatest CS2 Dynasty

A New Chapter Begins: karrigan Takes the Wheel at Team Falcons

The Legend Says Goodbye: FalleN Announces His Retirement at The End of The Year

Latest news

100 Thieves Eliminate Team Falcons in Their First Match of BLAST Bounty Summer

100 Thieves pulled off one hell of an upset, knocking the reigning Major champions Falcons out of the BLAST Bounty Summer 2026 qualifier on Wednesday, closing out the round with a 2-1 series win nobody saw coming.

Team Liquid Announces JT to Replace siuhy

Team Liquid has acquired South African talent Johnny "JT" Theodosiou to replace siuhy as their new in‑game leader. Here's more on the signing.

Adarsh J. Kumar

Esports World Cup 2026 Unveils Saudia Partnership and Custom-Branded Aircraft

The Esports Federation has named Saudia, the national air carrier of Saudi Arabia, as the official airline of the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC). Here's more.

Adarsh J. Kumar

Prophecy Fulfilled: CS2 Major Sticker Profits Just Fell x10

HLTV’s report on Cologne 2026 confirms what earlier Strafe analyses of CS2’s new sticker shop and revenue ladder suggested: Major sticker profits for some teams have dropped from around $600,000 to about $60,000, turning a former safety net into a fragile income line and pushing more clubs to question their place in Counter-Strike.

André Guaraldo

Tier 1 CS2 Returns: BLAST Bounty Closed Qualifier Match-Ups Revealed

Counter-Strike's summer break is officially over, as BLAST has revealed the opening bracket for the BLAST Bounty Summer 2026 Closed Qualifier, and the pairings are stacked with big names right out of the gate.

Team Vitality CEO Neo: "For Us to be a Global Leader Means Being a Contender at EWC"

Team Vitality remains one of the most influential and well-known esports organizations to date. The Paris-based org fields over 20 esports teams in various esports, though their immensely impressive results in Counter-Strike take center stage. Being one of the organizations present at Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, we managed to speak with Fabien "Neo" Devide, Co-Founder and CEO of the Hive, just after an interview with Mike McCabe, COO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, at the opening press conference at EWC. Neo provided a ton of insight into the organization's participation at this year's edition of EWC in Paris. He expressed his desire for the org to perform to the highest standards, but also highlighted that rivalry is key to grow the ecosystem. Additionally, Neo gave strong opinions on the growth of mobile esports following last year's Vitality's takeover and merger with Indonesian side Bigetron, stressing the need for innovation and following ideas in the east, as much as the west.

Naim "EnKay" Rosinski

Mike McCabe COO of EWC Foundation: "The Home Is Always Going to Be Riyadh"

The Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC) had its grand launch on July 8, commemorating the official start of the event with an opening press conference at the Hotel de Ville in the heart of Paris. With many speakers kicking off the event, like the CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, Ralf Reichert, Emmanuel Grégoire, the mayor of Paris, and others, taking center stage. Following an opening ceremony with multiple speakers, media were given the opportunity to chat with representatives of the Esports World Cup Foundation, game publishers, or even reps of prolific esports organizations such as Team Vitality. We managed to speak with Mike McCabe, the COO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.

Naim "EnKay" Rosinski

Comments (0)

Log in to comment on this match