Virtus.pro ended their run at the Esports World Cup 2025 in joint-last place, falling to MOUZ in a dramatic 1:2 series. For the “Bears,” this result was a major disappointment, but team captain Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy told HLTV that the focus should not be on the defeat itself, but on the progress the team is making.
How the match unfolded
The series started optimistically for Virtus.pro: on Inferno, they executed their game plan and confidently closed the map. However, on Mirage, communication issues and failed clutches proved decisive as MOUZ leveled the score. On the decider Overpass, the game was played on a knife’s edge, where every mistake came at too high a cost. Perfecto admitted:
I pushed through the smoke as we agreed, but the opponent was waiting. And there were a few such moments. In the end, they proved decisive.
MOUZ once again demonstrated why they are considered one of the most consistent teams in the world, while VP were eliminated from the tournament after just one match.
Perfecto’s words: progress or stagnation?
Despite the early exit, Perfecto does not see only negatives.
We showed that we can play against any team. MOUZ is considered top-2 or top-3 in the world right now. I know we can play much better. This game doesn’t mean anything yet — it will mean something when we start beating these opponents.
At the same time, he admits that he personally does not take satisfaction in simply putting up a “good fight”:
For me, you are either a winner or you are not. Maybe for the viewer we look a bit more interesting, but for me — this is not progress.
Perfecto also confirmed the team’s ambitions: they aim to break into the world’s top 5 and believe they can achieve it despite current struggles.
Why doesn’t Virtus.pro look convincing?
Looking at the bigger picture, expectations were high after the arrivals of Perfecto and FL1T. However, VP have systematically failed in key matches against top teams. While they occasionally show potential on individual maps, they consistently lack the “final step” in Bo3 series.
The reasons are fairly clear:
- Lack of practice, given the tight tournament schedule;
- Inconsistent decision-making (as seen on Mirage in this series);
- Outdated playstyle, which works against mid-tier teams but is too predictable against elite opposition.
If VP don’t change their approach, they risk being stuck for a long time in the “second-tier team” category.
Community reaction
On social media and HLTV, reactions to Perfecto’s interview were sharply divided. Some fans supported the player, while others openly criticized Virtus.pro.
- One user mocked: “Tf you mean ‘we’? Defecto” — implying Perfecto himself was to blame in key rounds.
- Others declared VP a “dead team”: “Sadly VP seem like a dead team, I can’t believe FL1T is already 24, somebody save this man.”
- Some brought up the past: “He had a chance to join NAVI in 2019–2020, but it fell through because of a $1.5 million buyout.”
- Sarcastic takes like: “Yeah if you had fl4mus and an AWPer… and an IGL” underline the belief that VP lack not only an ideal roster but also strategic depth.
Overall, the fan sentiment is clear: VP are stuck in stagnation, and Perfecto’s words about progress sound more like self-consolation than a concrete plan.
What’s next for Virtus.pro?
For Virtus.pro, the early exit in Riyadh cannot be ignored. With ESL Pro League and upcoming qualifiers on the horizon, the team will quickly have to prove whether Perfecto’s optimism translates into results.
If progress doesn’t come, changes may be unavoidable — from the lack of a stable AWPer to questions of leadership. The next few months will be decisive: either VP turn words into victories, or risk sliding further into irrelevance.
