F_1N Steps Down as Virtus.pro Coach After Seven Months

F_1N Steps Down as Virtus.pro Coach After Seven Months

Ivan “F_1N” Kochugov has resigned from his role as head coach of Virtus.pro’s CS2 roster, bringing an end to a turbulent seven-month tenure marked by roster instability and mixed competitive results.

According to the organization, the decision came unexpectedly. Virtus.pro CEO Nikolai Petrossian said the resignation “came as a surprise to everyone at the club,” adding that management respected F_1N’s request to leave and thanked him for his contribution. A new coach is expected to be announced “soon.”

A Challenging Seven Months

F_1N joined Virtus.pro in late April 2025, stepping in after the team’s early exit at IEM Melbourne. Despite moments of promise—such as nearly making playoffs at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025—the team struggled to find consistency amid constant roster changes.

During his time as coach:

Virtus.pro failed to qualify for the StarLadder Budapest Major.

The team missed ESL Pro League after several players were denied entry at the Swedish border.

On LAN, Virtus.pro secured just one win in seven series during a period when Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy had recently taken over as in-game leader.

His departure continues a long-running trend for Virtus.pro, which has cycled through multiple coaches since mid-2024, including dastan, Xoma, and PASHANOJ.

Extensive Roster Overhaul Under F_1N

Much of F_1N’s spell coincided with significant changes to the lineup.

Perfecto Takes Over as IGL

On September 1, Virtus.pro announced that Perfecto had become the new in-game leader, replacing Denis “electroNic” Sharipov, who was moved to the bench. The club described the decision as unanimous and emphasized Perfecto’s leadership qualities. Shortly after, electroNic departed the organization entirely.

Academy Promotions and ICY Benched

In October, AWPer Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov was benched. On the same day, academy sniper Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov was promoted from VP.Prodigy to the main team, with Virtus.pro calling him “strong and ambitious” as he prepared for IEM Chengdu 2025.

Earlier in the season, another VP.Prodigy player, Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov, was also brought into the primary lineup. The club said he had “impressed in the anchor role” and was selected as the best fit at the time.

As of F_1N’s departure, Virtus.pro’s CS2 roster consists of:

Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev

Petr “fame” Bolyshev

Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy (IGL)

Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov

Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov

What Was Said When He Joined

When F_1N was introduced as head coach in April, Virtus.pro highlighted both his history with the organization and his experience developing young talent. CEO Petrossian praised him as someone who had grown from a championship-winning player into a coach capable of “unlocking the potential of young teams,” expressing confidence that his approach would elevate the roster.

F_1N described his return to the club as highly motivating, saying he was grateful for the trust placed in him as the team prepared for a bootcamp in Astana. Virtus.pro also underscored his accomplishments across Counter-Strike: from early 1.6 successes, including titles at ACON 5 and a top-three ESWC finish, to his structured coaching work with Gambit Youngsters and later Cloud9.

Uncertain Future for Virtus.pro

With F_1N’s departure, Virtus.pro continues its search for a stable coaching solution after a year and a half of frequent staff changes. The team now aims to rebuild around Perfecto’s leadership and its younger players, including b1st and tO0RO.

The organization has not yet revealed who will take over the head coach role, stating only that the announcement will follow “soon” as the team works to recover from a turbulent 2025 season.