The achievement resonated far beyond the confines of esports. This Sunday, Team Vitality became only the fifth team in Counter-Strike history to complete the ESL Grand Slam— securing four ESL S-Tier events during a window of ten consecutive events, including an IEM Katowice, IEM Cologne, or ESL-operated CS Major Championship—by claiming victory over Team Falcons in a dramatic IEM Melbourne final.

The Bees solidified their status as the world’s top-ranked team and earned the organization a $1 million prize. This historic performance was met with praise across social media, including from national political figures such as MP Denis Masséglia, well-known for his involvement in the scene, and Minister of Culture Rachida Dati, but most notably from the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron.

“With its Grand Slam, Vitality elevates France to the pinnacle of esports and makes our nation shine. Congratulations to the whole team!” the head of state wrote on his X account. In fact, this is far from the first time Macron has publicly engaged with esports developments. In May 2022, he congratulated Karmine Corp after their third consecutive EMEA Masters victory on League of Legends. He had previously even sent a private message to the club’s founder, Kamel “Kameto” Kebir, following the team’s inaugural win in the same competition a year earlier.

On April 23, 2022, during the media silence period leading up to the second round of the presidential election, Macron was seen strolling the beaches of Le Touquet wearing a Vitality hoodie. Just days earlier, in an interview with The Big Whale, he had pledged to do everything in his power to bring a Counter-Strike Major to Paris. One year later, the French capital did in fact host a Major, won, fittingly, by Vitality.

Invited to the Élysée Palace

Though Macron has repeatedly addressed and supported the esports ecosystem—including inviting key figures from the community to the Élysée Palace in June 2022—his relationship with that same community has occasionally been strained. “One gets the feeling that some young people are living out in the streets the video games that have poisoned their minds,” Macron said in June 2023, in the wake of the urban riots that swept through France that summer. In response, Kameto, speaking on national radio station France Inter, expressed feeling “betrayed” by the president, who later walked back his comments and offered an apology, clarifying his intentions.

Despite these controversies, political engagement with esports remains relatively uncommon. In a parallel instance, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Natus Vincere (NAVI)—the national esports pride and a cornerstone of the CS scene—following their Major victory in Stockholm in November 2021. Zelensky also went on to symbolically honor the team in 2023.