Virtus.pro Bench ElectroNic After Continued Struggles; Perfecto Steps In as New IGL

Virtus.pro Bench ElectroNic After Continued Struggles; Perfecto Steps In as New IGL

Virtus.pro announced the benching of Denis “electroNic” Sharipov on Friday, reacting to another disappointing tournament exit at BLAST Open London 2025 following a loss to M80—cementing a string of underwhelming results. 

The Final Straw

Virtus.pro’s CEO Nikolai Petrossian expressed regret in the official statement:

“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 the biggest tournaments.” 

This move came just hours after the team failed to advance at BLAST Open London—collapsing under the pressure with a loss to M80, sealing their early elimination. 

A Season Marked by Disappointment

ElectroNic’s benching arrives after a streak of subpar performances from Virtus.pro:

• Last place at FISSURE Playground 1

• 9th–12th at IEM Cologne Stage 1

• 5th–8th at BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals

• 9th–16th at the Esports World Cup

• This latest exit at BLAST Open London

The results failed to meet expectations, especially given electroNic’s reputation as a Major-winning, top-performing pro.

Community Reaction

On r/GlobalOffensive, fans reacted strongly:

“Man electronic on VP has been a total disaster. Can't remember a single good event from them since he joined.”
– u/Plug_daughter

Others noted rare bright spots:

“They had a decent showing at Austin Major.” 

A Leadership Change: Perfecto Takes Over as IGL

Just days later, Virtus.pro confirmed Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy as the new in-game leader. Despite his relative inexperience in shotcalling, the organization expressed confidence in his leadership and strategic insight. “The decision was unanimous,” Virtus.pro said. 

Roster Status & Fresh Opportunities

With electroNic now benched, Virtus.pro has promoted Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov from VP.Prodigy to fill the vacant starter role. 

ElectroNic’s tenure with VP lasted around 16 months—his departure from the starting lineup marking an abrupt end to a high-profile chapter. 

A Legacy in Flux

ElectroNic, 27, is a celebrated name in CS2, known for his time with Na`Vi and Cloud9. Highlights include winning the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 and consistently ranking top-20 globally from 2018–2021. His move to VP in April 2024 raised obvious expectations. 

Yet his performance rating over the past year sat at 0.99—below the elite level required to lead a roster deep into finals. 

Summary Table

Topic	Details
Player Benched	Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
Reason	Failure to help VP compete at top-level; latest elimination at BLAST Open London
Notable Results	Poor finishes at multiple LANs and Majors over recent months
New IGL	Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy
New Starter Promotion	Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov from VP.Prodigy
Community Sentiment	Mixed — some frustration over form, with rare acknowledgement of past efforts
ElectroNic’s Legacy	Major-winning, decorated veteran with long CS2 history; now re-aligned outside VP’s core