Virtus.pro complete roster rebuild with promotion of academy duo

Virtus.pro complete roster rebuild with promotion of academy duo

Virtus.pro have finalized their Counter-Strike roster after promoting two players from their academy project, VP.Prodigy. The organization announced that Alexander “AquaRS” Kovalev and Dias “F0R3VER” Kutubay have been moved up to the main lineup, completing the squad following the earlier return of Nikolay “mir” Bityukov. 

The move represents the latest step in a major rebuilding process for the Russian organization, which began earlier in 2026 after a series of disappointing results forced management to rethink the team’s structure. Virtus.pro endured a difficult start to the year, failing to win a single series and suffering early eliminations in multiple tournaments, including BLAST Bounty Season 1, CCT Season 3 Europe Series 13, and the Exort Cataclysm LAN event. 

In response to the slump, the organization initiated sweeping roster changes. Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy was the first player to be removed from the active lineup in early February and placed on the transfer list as the team began searching for a new direction.  Shortly afterward, two long-time members of the squad — Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev and Petr “fame” Bolyshev — were also benched and made available for transfer as Virtus.pro committed to a full rebuild. 

Rather than looking exclusively outside the organization for replacements, Virtus.pro turned to their academy system. The club had already begun integrating young talent from VP.Prodigy into the main roster during the transition period, with players like Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov and Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov involved in the project. The academy squad had been steadily gaining experience in regional competitions and managed to climb to 77th place in the global Valve Regional Standings (VRS), giving the organization confidence in its emerging players. 

Following strong individual performances in academy tournaments, AquaRS and F0R3VER were chosen as the final additions to the main team. According to Virtus.pro, the decision was based on their recent results and their potential to develop alongside experienced teammates. The organization emphasized that both players demonstrated solid teamwork and promising individual skill during their time in the academy lineup. 

The promotion also highlights Virtus.pro’s renewed focus on developing young talent internally. Academy systems have become increasingly important in Counter-Strike, allowing organizations to cultivate players within their own structure before promoting them to the top level. VP.Prodigy was originally created to identify and train rising prospects from the CIS region, giving them experience in structured competition and preparing them for future opportunities on the main roster. 

With the addition of AquaRS and F0R3VER, Virtus.pro’s new five-man lineup is now complete. The team will be led by veteran rifler and in-game leader mir, who recently rejoined the organization and is expected to guide the younger players through the rebuilding phase.

The current Virtus.pro roster consists of:

• Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov

• Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov

• Nikolay “mir” Bityukov

• Alexander “AquaRS” Kovalev

• Dias “F0R3VER” Kutubay

Dmitriy “ProbLeM” Martinov continues to serve as the team’s head coach. 

To prepare the revamped squad for upcoming competitions, Virtus.pro have scheduled an extended bootcamp in Serbia that will run through the end of April. The organization hopes that intensive practice and time spent building team chemistry will help the new lineup stabilize after months of instability and poor results. 

While the team’s immediate goal will be to regain form and climb back up the rankings, the long-term plan appears to center on combining experienced leadership with promising young talent. By promoting players from within the organization’s academy structure, Virtus.pro are signaling a commitment to rebuilding around a new generation — one they hope can restore the team’s competitiveness on the international stage.