Perfecto: "Everyone is waiting for the major to start, but I can't wait for the end"

Former Cloud9 member Ilya "Perfecto" Zalutskiy has potentially hinted at an impending return to the professional Counter-Strike 2 scene. The Russian esports player recently posted on his Telegram channel, expressing eagerness for the conclusion of the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, which wrapped up in mid-December.

"Everyone is waiting for the Major to start, but I can’t wait for it to end."

Commentator Alexey "PCH3LK1N" Pchelkin supported fans' speculations, suggesting that Perfecto might continue his career with a team from the CIS region.

"Do you know why Perfecto is waiting for the Major to end? Because at the end of the Major, we’ll learn about his new team! I know the team but can’t reveal it. I’m not an insider. I’m not confirming anything, but I think it’s a CIS team. I’ve asked Perfecto about his new team. He has options. It’s not Virtus.pro."

However, insider and scout Alexey "OverDrive" Biryukov countered, saying that fans had misunderstood Zalutskiy's message.

"Perfecto and I often talk and discuss career options. If he had a new team, I’d know 99% about it. It’s very unlikely he has one right now. For any team to pick him up at this stage, it would require an extraordinary offer. There won’t be any news until the end of the Major."

To recall, Zalutskiy left Cloud9’s active roster on 22 April. In an interview given earlier this summer, he mentioned that he was making the most of his time to regain his form to return to the professional Counter-Strike 2 scene.