Team Vitality to sign flameZ to replace dupreeh

After the end of the spring season in the CS:GO competitive scene, we have been reading and hearing a lot of rumors about the different moves that teams could make in this player break. While it is true that many players and even organizations are on vacation, others are only thinking about possible solutions in the transfer market.

Now, when this players’ break seemed to be a whole party of movements, the name of Team Vitality, the #1 team in the world, appeared surprisingly. According to different reports, the current Paris Major champions are considering signing Shahar “flameZ” Shushan to replace Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen.

There is no doubt that this news is completely unexpected, as the team seemed to be working perfectly so far. Also, having a five-time Major champion on your team in the face of the impending transition to CS2 is a luxury that not every team can afford.

Reports claim Team Vitality would sign flameZ to replace dupreeh

According to esports journalist Alejandro “Anonimotum” Gomis, Team Vitality is very close to signing Israeli and former OG player flameZ to replace dupreeh.

Sources: flameZ 🇮🇱 is close to join Team Vitality 🇫🇷.

He will replace Dupreeh 🇩🇰 on the team that won the recent Paris major.

Read on @blix_gg ⬇️https://t.co/vA93n3BCJs

— Alejandro Gomis (@anonimotum) June 19, 2023

This news surprises everyone in the community, as no one expected Team Vitality to be one of the teams making changes to this player break. However, the talent that the 19-year-old Israeli has shown has caught the attention of the organization that holds the top spot in the CS:GO World Rankings.

Unexpected news

There is no doubt that flameZ’s talent makes him a highly coveted gemstone in this player break transfer market, but that Team Vitality wants to sign him is truly unexpected news.

The 19-year-old has been exploring his options on the market for several weeks, as OG decided not to renew his contract for the second half of the season. As a result, the interest of many teams surfaced, and they started contacting the Israelis. In addition to Team Vitality, there were a lot of talks that G2 Esports would be very close to signing the player. However, any of the parties involved have not confirmed or denied these rumors.

Right now, it seems that the team winning the race to sign this Israeli superstar is Team Vitality, which would mark the definitive end of flameZ at OG, the team he represented for the past two years.

Dupreeh’s future

Now, if this news is confirmed and flameZ joins Team Vitality, the player who has one foot and a half out of the lineup is none other than dupreeh. The five-time Major champion would leave the French squad despite being a fundamental pillar in the team’s victory in the Paris Major.

With 30 years under his belt and a lot of experience on his shoulders, dupreeh is the player who has won the most top-level CS:GO trophies in the game’s entire history. However, if his departure from Team Vitality is finalized, the player’s future is uncertain, as no one on the scene expected this news.

Any team would be delighted to acquire the services of an experienced player like dupreeh. However, it would make the most sense for him to return to Astralis to help the Danish organization return to the top of the scene. While ultimately, the Dane may announce his retirement.

Header: Stefan Petrescu | PGL