Virtus.pro have benched Denis “electroNic” Sharipov after another disappointing run on the international Counter-Strike stage. The news came just hours after the team’s early exit from BLAST Open London, where they finished last following a defeat to North American side M80.
Image via HLTV.org
The Russian organisation confirmed the decision in a statement on X, with CEO Nikolai Petrossian thanking electroNic for his professionalism and leadership during his time with the Bears.
Denis “electroNic” Sharipov has been moved to the bench.
Nikolai Petrossian, CEO of Virtus.рro:
“Denis is one of the most experienced and decorated players in the world. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to build a team together that could consistently fight for top positions at… pic.twitter.com/V7Ia78ZhIp— Virtus.pro (@virtuspro) August 29, 2025
From blockbuster signing to the bench
electroNic joined Virtus.pro in April 2024 in a high-profile transfer from Cloud9, replacing mir in the starting roster. Expectations were sky-high, especially with his history as a four-time HLTV Top 20 Player and a Major winner with NAVI.
However, results never matched the hype. Since he took over in-game leadership duties at the end of 2024 following Jame’s benching, VP have struggled to stay consistent. The roster has gone through multiple changes and even swapped coaches three times in the past 16 months, but tournament finishes remained underwhelming.
Over the last few months, Virtus.pro placed last at both BLAST Open London and FISSURE Playground #1, 9th–12th in IEM Cologne Stage 1, 5th–8th at the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals, and 9th–16th at the Esports World Cup. Even with the addition of former NAVI teammate Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy, the squad failed to turn things around.
Another reshuffle in the Bears’ den
With electroNic now on the bench, he joins Timur “FL4MUS” Marev and David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan on the inactive list as Virtus.pro look to retool their roster once again. The organisation confirmed that the name of the new fifth player will be announced soon, with their next tournament appearance set for FISSURE Playground 2 starting on 12 September.
For now, the active lineup of Virtus.pro stands as:
- Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev
- Petr “fame” Bolyshev
- Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov
- Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy
- Ivan “F_1N” Kochugov (coach)
Inactive: David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan, Timur “FL4MUS” Marev, Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
What’s next for electroNic?
While benched, electroNic remains one of the most decorated and respected players in Counter-Strike. His future is still uncertain, but given his track record with NAVI, Cloud9, and now Virtus.pro, fans will be keeping a close eye on where he lands next.
For Virtus.pro, the pressure is on to deliver results after a string of disappointing campaigns. With another roster move looming, September’s FISSURE Playground 2 could be make-or-break for the Bears’ chances of bouncing back this season.