Virtus.pro has announced the benching of the in-game leader, Denis “electroNic” Sharipov, just hours after another disappointing result and elimination from BLAST Open London 2025. The move marks the end of his short stint as in-game leader, a role he took on after joining VP from Cloud9 in April 2024.
Contents
Virtus.pro Official Announcement
A Rough Chapter Comes to an End
electroNic joined the team to stabilize and elevate Virtus.pro’s CS2 lineup, stepping into the in-game leader position following years of experience and success with NAVI and Cloud9. However, the gamble didn’t pay off. VP’s results in recent months have been underwhelming:
- Last place at FISSURE Playground
- 9th–12th at IEM Cologne Stage 1
- 5th–8th at BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals
- 9th–16th at Esports World Cup
- And finally, their early exit in London after a loss to M80
The string of poor finishes put pressure on the roster, culminating in the decision to bench electroNic, Timur “FL4MUS” Marev, and David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan, who got moved to the bench earlier in 2024.
What’s Next for VP?
The benching leaves VP with major questions heading into their next scheduled event, FISSURE Playground 2 in mid-September. No replacements have been announced yet, but the organization confirmed a new roster member will be revealed soon.
The decision shows the instability surrounding Virtus.pro in 2025. electroNic’s removal makes him the third CS2 player benched by VP this year, further underscoring a turbulent period for the Russian organization.
What’s Next for electroNic?
For Sharipov, this marks another abrupt stop in his career after leaving Cloud9 last year. With his pedigree as both a rifler and in-game leader, he remains one of the most experienced free agents in the CIS scene — and will likely draw attention from teams seeking a leadership upgrade.
Virtus.pro roster is as follows:
- Evgenii ‘FL1T’ Lebedev
- Petr ‘fame’ Bolyshev
- Kaisar ‘ICY’ Faiznurov
- Ilya ‘Perfecto’ Zalutskiy
- Ivan ‘F_1N’ Kochugov (coach)
Keep up with our coverage for more insights on the latest esports news and updates.
