The Russian team Virtus.pro has been forced to urgently revise its roster ahead of the CS Asia Championships 2025. Tournament organizers have confirmed that Kazakh sniper Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov will once again play for the team. The decision was made in accordance with a new clause in Valve’s Tournament Operating Requirements — Rule 3.10.1, which obliges teams to use at least three players from their invited roster in every match of the tournament.
Why Virtus.pro changed the lineup
Virtus.pro had planned to compete in the tournament with their updated roster, where ICY’s place would be taken by young sniper Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov from VP.Prodigy. Thus, the intended lineup was: fame, FL1T, Perfecto, t0oRo, b1st.
However, according to the VRS invitation from July 7, Virtus.pro received their invite with the following lineup:
- fame
- FL1T
- electroNic
- FL4MUS
- ICY
Because of this, Valve’s rules require that at least three players from this lineup must participate in each match of the tournament. In the new five-man roster, only fame and FL1T met this condition, so the organizer (Perfect World) announced that competing without ICY would result in an automatic forfeit under Rule 3.10.1:
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The Tournament Operator will declare a forfeit in any match in which a roster does not field at least three of the Invited Roster Athletes for the entirety of the match.
Therefore, to avoid disqualification, Virtus.pro reinstated ICY into the active lineup.
Virtus.pro roster for CS Asia Championships 2025
- Petr “fame” Bolyshev
- Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev
- Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy
- Vadim “t0oRo” Arkov
- Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov
- Coach: Ivan “F_1N” Kochugov
Analysis: a regulation that changes the approach to rosters
The new Rule 3.10.1 continues Valve’s policy of ensuring transparency in team participation at tournaments where VRS invitations are involved. Following the incident at ESL Pro League Season 22, when FaZe were forced to bring back Håvard “rain” Nygaard to avoid disqualification, Valve clarified that the main trio from the invited roster “must participate in every match of the tournament.”
This rule complicates flexibility for teams that often test young players or make internal roster changes without public announcements. In the case of Virtus.pro, it also forces them to bring back an older AWP player instead of a promising newcomer, potentially reducing the team’s flexibility at the start of the event.
Context: Virtus.pro’s form before the tournament
Virtus.pro currently sit at #18 in the world ranking and #32 in Valve’s VRS system. Their peak this year reached #8, but the team has gradually lost ground due to unstable results following multiple roster changes. In 2025, the roster has spent only 42 weeks in the world’s top 30.
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The return of ICY means Virtus.pro will compete with a hybrid lineup that combines the experience of Perfecto and FL1T with the team’s older core. This decision may help stabilize their LAN performance, while also testing whether ICY can regain his previous form after a break.
About the tournament
CS Asia Championships 2025 is one of the main autumn events of the PGL series, held in Shanghai. It features top teams from Europe, Asia, and the Americas, offering a $500,000 prize pool and valuable VRS points, which influence qualification for the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.
Virtus.pro will begin their campaign on October 14 with a match against Legacy.
What’s next for Virtus.pro
The return of ICY is a forced but strategically sound decision. Valve has made it clear that any deviation from the invited roster will be punished strictly, so teams must consider these legal nuances before submitting lineups.
Everything now depends on whether Virtus.pro can maintain stability and synergy after this unexpected adjustment. For ICY, this is more than just a “return” — it’s a chance to prove he can still be part of an evolving team that aims to reclaim its place among the world’s elite.
