In a shock move, the British in-game leader has decided to step down from the French side due to personal reasons. Reports suggest it was the non-stop traveling and the busy schedule which led to the player's disillusionment, but it's safe to say this move could not have come at a worse time for the team who have slipped to #9 in the HLTV rankings and are preparing for six different events in the upcoming months.
Despite ZywOo claiming the #1 spot on HLTV's yearly player ranking, leapfrogging s1mple as a debutant, Vitality's results were on a downturn since their decision to kick NBK- after the StarLadder Berlin Major. Though their win at EPICENTER 2019 at the tail end of the year suggested an uptick in form, disappointing performances at BLAST Premier Spring Season and IEM Katowice meant that domestic rivals G2 have comfortably leapfrogged them in the rankings.
With just two weeks to go until ESL Pro League Season 11 begins, Vitality don't have much time to sort out the replacement. According to 1pv.fr's reporting, LDLC's hAdji is targeted as ALEX's replacement - though as fans of French Counter-Strike can attest, it may have just been only a matter of time until shox takes a turn at the wheel, something which hasn't been particularly fruitful so far in his career.
Photo credit: HLTV