Virtus.pro Bench IGL electroNic After BLAST Open London Exit as Part of Roster Overhaul

Virtus.pro Bench IGL electroNic After BLAST Open London Exit as Part of Roster Overhaul

Virtus.pro have officially benched their in-game leader Denis “electroNic” Sharipov, just hours after their dismal BLAST Open London showing, where the team finished dead last (13–16th place). This marks the third high-profile benching of 2025 for VP, signaling mounting pressures following a run of poor tournament results.

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Timeline of Roster Turmoil

Virtus.pro plunged from last place finishes at several leading events—including FISSURE Playground, IEM Cologne Stage 1 (9–12th), BLAST Bounty S2 Finals (5–8th), and Esports World Cup (9–16th)—into BLAST Open London, where a loss to M80 sealed another early exit. Less than two hours post-loss, CEO Nikolai Petrossian announced electroNic’s benching, citing an inability to form a consistently top-performing team. He thanked Denis for his motivation and leadership but mourned the lack of competitive results. 

This move places electroNic alongside two other benched players:

• Timur “FL4MUS” Marev, moved out of the starting lineup in June after just one season.

• David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan, already inactive first announced in earlier roster statements.

Meanwhile, Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy joined in June, adding a Major-winning presence to the roster after a protracted bench from Cloud9. 

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ElectroNic’s Road to VP & His Legacy

ElectroNic joined Virtus.pro in April 2024, arriving from Cloud9 to replace Nikolay “mir” Bityukov as IGL. He came with an illustrious pedigree—previously competing as Na'Vi’s AWPer, he earned multiple HLTV Top 20 entries between 2018 and 2021, and clinched the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 title. 

His tenure, lasting over a year with the organization, failed to meet expectations. Despite his leadership and experience, the team couldn’t rise consistently at premier tournaments.

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What’s Next for VP?

No immediate replacement for electroNic has been announced, but VP promises an update “soon.” In the meantime, VP will regroup for FISSURE Playground 2, scheduled to start on September 12. 

With Fl4MUS and n0rb3r7 already benched, the decision emphasizes a thorough roster reset. The fate of VP’s structure—along with the roles of FL1T, fame, ICY, and Perfecto—is now a subject of tight scrutiny.

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Broader Context: A Legacy at Risk

Virtus.pro, founded in 2003 and historically one of CIS CS powerhouses, remains headquartered in Armenia since 2022. Their CS2 division arena is shifting rapidly; recent results show an alarming downturn: 9th–16th/13–16th finishes in major tournaments, and a current HLTV world ranking around #15.

The continued roster turnover—including coaching changes and transfers—reflects a team struggling to reclaim past glory. CEO Petrossian has now overseen at least three coaching or key roster changes since April 2024, and the silence on a replacement IGL signals both caution and urgency.

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Summary Table

Point	Detail
Player Benched	Denis “electroNic” Sharipov, offlined hours after BLAST Open London loss
Official Reason	“Could not build a consistent top-tier team” — CEO Nikolai Petrossian
Tenure Strengths	Prominent IGL, past Top20 player, Major champion (Stockholm 2021)
Roster Changes	FL4MUS & n0rb3r7 also benched; Perfecto added in June
Upcoming Event	FISSURE Playground 2 starts on September 12
Organization’s Aim	Reclaim elite status; possible major invite path
Risk Factors	Falling VRS status, unstable roster, pressure from fans & sponsor base