Virtus.pro has promoted Vladimir ‘b1st‘ Krasikov from the organisation’s academy lineup to its main Counter-Strike 2 roster.
The move follows the benching of Kaisar ‘ICY‘ Faiznurov, who joined the Russian esports organisation in December 2024.
B1st is the second player to earn promotion to the main roster after representing the organisation’s academy team. In September, Vadim ‘tO0RO’ Arkov joined the team following a string of impressive performances.
Over the past six months, the organisation has made several changes to its CS2 lineup in a bid to rediscover the form that saw it secure a top-six finish at IEM Katowice 2025.
“After impressing in VP.Prodigy, b1st becomes the next young talent to join the main lineup,” said Virtus.pro on social media. “The team is already training to ensure his smooth transition ahead of IEM Chengdu 2025.”
In June, Virtus.pro moved Timur ‘FL4MUS‘ to the bench, signing Ilya ‘Perfecto’ Zalutskiy in his place. Following elimination from the BLAST Open London closed qualifier in August, Denis ‘electroNic’ Sharipov was the latest player to be placed on the bench.
Currently ranked 24th in October’s Valve Regional Standings (VRS), Virtus.pro failed to qualify for November’s StarLadder Budapest Major after being unable to compete at ESL Pro League Season 22. Before the event, the organisation’s players were turned away at the Swedish border, leaving it unable to compete.
What Next For Virtus.pro?
Despite missing out on the final Major of the year, Virtus.pro still has an opportunity to end 2025 on a positive note. The team is one of 16 teams competing at IEM Chengdu from November 3rd to 11th.
The Tier 1 tournament will be the final time Virtus.pro’s main Counter-Strike 2 roster will compete this year and will mark b1st’s debut for the team.
A strong performance at Chengdu has the potential to lay the foundations for a solid 2026, with the objective of the team to earn qualification for the IEM Cologne Major taking place in June.
