The esports organisation Virtus.pro has introduced a new youth roster for Counter-Strike 2, featuring five young Russian players aged 16-17. The announcement was published on the club's official website.
The lineup includes Vladimir "b1st" Krasikov, Daniil "TriBorgg1" Buchkovsky, Vadim "tO0RO" Arykov, Artem "turbo" Dobryshev, and Alexander "AquaRS" Kovalev. Krasikov will take on the role of sniper, while Kovalev will lead the team as captain. The players hold individual ELO ratings ranging from 3100 to 3800.
Dmitry "ProbLeM" Martynov, the coach of the newly-formed VP.Prodigy squad, shared his thoughts on the lineup:
"The club's goals and philosophy regarding our youth roster remain the same: to help young players hone their skills and find their place in the competitive scene. With the previous roster, we made significant progress, as shown by our 66th place in the world rankings and the fact that all five players were transferred directly to other teams that expressed interest in them.
We’ve assembled young players with long-term potential, though they currently have limited in-game and competitive experience. They are committed to improvement, and we will be developing their skills through a structured training system and regular competitive match practice."
In August this year, Virtus.pro announced the launch of a new academy project for Counter-Strike 2. The official statement at the time noted, "VP.Future will be the first step in working with talented young esports players." In the same month, the club either transferred or sold players from the previous VP.Prodigy roster.
The new VP.Prodigy roster:
- Vladimir "b1st" Krasikov
- Daniil "TriBorgg1" Buchkovsky
- Vadim "tO0RO" Arykov
- Artem "turbo" Dobryshev
- Alexander "AquaRS" Kovalev
Coach: Dmitry "ProbLeM" Martynov