Before the Star Series fall season begins, Vitality's in-game leader apEX gave a pre-tournament interview. He discussed a retrospective on the 2026 season, the team's current state, and his personal plans during the off-season.
Q: apEX, 2026 has been quite turbulent for CS2. Looking back on the journey so far this year, which moment or story left the deepest impression on you?
apEX: Actually, I'm not sure either... Let's just go with us winning five more trophies in a row.
Q: Considering where you guys were at the start of the year, is doing this again still a surprise to you?
apEX: Of course. I still definitely expect us to win the championship because we want to prove that 2025 wasn't just a year where we happened to perform exceptionally well, and we can achieve the same thing again this year.
But I really didn't expect that we could actually keep winning consecutive victories one after another. It felt like dreaming again, and I even thought something like this could ever happen again.
Q: You don't have a StarSeries champion title in your trophy cabinet yet, but ropz's name is already engraved on this trophy. Is it his turn to bring one back for you this time?
apEX: Yeah. He hadn't won a BLAST championship before joining Vitality, but after joining, we won at least five or so BLAST championships together. So now it's his turn to help me win a StarSeries championship (laughs).
Q: I'd also like to ask how you usually relax. We've talked before—seems like even when you're resting, your mind keeps going over tactics. How does apEX truly "switch off" and enjoy a proper day off?
apEX：Recently, it has been a bit easier for me. Sometimes, I can manage to stop thinking about CS. But I can't really do nothing; instead, I need to keep myself busy. That way, even though my brain is still running, at least my attention isn't focused on CS.
For example, going out with friends, dining at nice restaurants, exercising, or hiking outdoors. Basically, doing something completely different.
Also taking naps, I especially like taking naps. I think it helps me a lot.
Q：So, are you the type who takes long naps? For example, sleeping for an hour or two each time?
apEX: It depends. If I'm alone, I usually don't sleep that long. But my partner is pregnant now, and she gets tired easily, so our naps now tend to be very long (laughs).
She sleeps for a long time, and I sleep a little less, but to be honest, I still sleep a bit too much.