Home

Virtus.pro have made another major change to their Counter-Strike 2 roster, benching Kazakhstani AWPer Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov and promoting Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov from their academy team, VP.Prodigy. The move signals a continued shift toward nurturing young talent within the organisation, as the Bears aim to rebuild after a rocky season.

ICY Benched After 10 Months on the Main Roster

Virtus.pro officially announced ICY’s benching late on October 20, thanking the player for his work and professionalism since joining the team in December 2024. The club confirmed it is “open to exploring different options for the player’s future”, hinting that transfer talks or loan opportunities could soon follow.

ICY’s time with Virtus.pro was marked by inconsistency, with the team struggling to find stable form across major tournaments. His best showing came early in 2025, when Virtus.pro placed 5–6th at IEM Katowice, but results quickly tapered off. Over ten months, the AWPer averaged a 1.02 rating, a modest figure that reflects both his potential and the team’s wider issues.

The team’s recent struggles were amplified when Virtus.pro failed to qualify for the StarLadder Budapest Major and were unable to compete at ESL Pro League after several players were denied entry at the Swedish border. The organisation’s ongoing roster adjustments appear to be a direct response to that turbulent stretch.

b1st Steps Up From VP.Prodigy

In a follow-up post, Virtus.pro confirmed that Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov would be promoted to replace ICY as the team’s new AWPer. The 18-year-old Russian has been one of the standout performers for VP.Prodigy, and his promotion follows the same development path as Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov, who recently joined the main line-up to replace Denis “electroNic” Sharipov.

Virtus.pro said that b1st has already begun training with the team ahead of IEM Chengdu 2025, where he’s expected to make his official debut. The move continues the organisation’s push to blend experienced veterans like Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev and Petr “fame” Bolyshev with emerging homegrown talent.

Interestingly, the team originally planned to trial b1st at the CS Asia Championships, but VRS (Valve Regional Standings) rules required them to field at least three players from the lineup that received the event invite. That forced Virtus.pro to temporarily stick with ICY for the tournament.

Virtus.pro’s Ongoing Rebuild

The latest reshuffle marks another chapter in Virtus.pro’s ongoing rebuild. The current active roster now stands as:

  • 🇷🇺 Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev
  • 🇷🇺 Petr “fame” Bolyshev
  • 🇷🇺 Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy (IGL)
  • 🇷🇺 Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov
  • 🇷🇺 Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov

The Bears’ decision to bench ICY comes just weeks after Perfecto took over in-game leading duties, following the departure of long-time shot-caller Dzhami “Jame” Ali in late 2024. With new blood entering the team and leadership shifting internally, Virtus.pro are clearly in a long-term transition phase aimed at restoring their former consistency.

ICY, meanwhile, remains under contract but is expected to attract attention from international teams. Fans online have already speculated possible destinations ranging from BetBoom and FURIA to Brazilian sides like paiN and Fluxo.

A Familiar Story for Virtus.pro Fans

For Virtus.pro supporters, this is far from the first major roster shake-up in recent months. Following electroNic’s benching after BLAST Open London, the team has doubled down on its development philosophy, turning to academy players to fill crucial roles.

It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy, one that could pay off if b1st adapts quickly to tier-one competition. His performances at IEM Chengdu will likely set the tone for how Virtus.pro proceed through the rest of the 2025 season.

For now, the organisation seems confident that fresh energy is exactly what the team needs to bounce back.