The Russian organization Virtus.pro have finalized their new Counter-Strike 2 lineup by promoting academy players Dias “FOR3VER” Kutubay and Alexander “AquaRS” Kovalev from VP.Prodigy. Their addition completes the roster following the earlier return of Nikolay “mir” Bityukov and represents the final step in the team’s major rebuild after a poor run of results that saw Virtus.pro fall close to 100th place in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS).
Academy players step up to the main stage
The promotion of FOR3VER and AquaRS is the culmination of a strategy that looked internally for solutions rather than signing external talent. Both players previously competed for VP.Prodigy, the academy roster of Virtus.pro, where they delivered solid performances in regional tournaments such as IZI WEX Season 1 and MPKBK CIS LAN Season 3. Those results pushed the academy lineup to 77th place in the global VRS, giving the organization a potential foundation for rebuilding its main team.
According to Virtus.pro’s official statement, the promotion was based on both recent tournament results and the players’ development within the academy system.
Dias and Alex showed strong performances as part of VP.Prodigy, demonstrating solid teamwork and individual skill. The club believes that working alongside an experienced captain will help the young players adapt to the main roster environment and fully unlock their potential.
With the addition of the two youngsters, the organization hopes the blend of emerging talent and experienced leadership will help stabilize the team after months of instability.
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A new Virtus.pro lineup
With the rebuild complete, Virtus.pro’s current CS2 roster now consists of:
- Nikolay “mir” Bityukov
- Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov
- Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov
- Alexander “AquaRS” Kovalev
- Dias “FOR3VER” Kutubay
Coach:
- Dmitriy “ProbLeM” Martinov
Meanwhile, three previously established players remain on the bench:
- Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy
- Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev
- Petr “fame” Bolyshev
The removal of such experienced names highlights the scale of the rebuild. Perfecto’s benching in particular surprised many fans given his reputation as one of the most accomplished support players in CIS Counter-Strike.
Extended bootcamp in Serbia
To prepare the roster for upcoming tournaments, Virtus.pro confirmed that the team will participate in an extended bootcamp in Serbia, scheduled to last until the end of April. The organization hopes the intensive practice environment will allow the new lineup to quickly develop chemistry and define roles before returning to international competition. Given the relative inexperience of two players on the roster, the bootcamp could prove critical for establishing structure under mir’s leadership.
Community reaction: skepticism and memes
The announcement quickly triggered strong reactions across social media. While some fans welcomed the opportunity for academy players to prove themselves, many responses were openly skeptical about the roster’s potential.
Some comments questioned the decision to promote players with limited experience against top competition:
0.99 rating without ever playing against a top 50 team. I don’t understand how this is a good move.
Others predicted the lineup might struggle to survive long term:
I’m giving this roster five months till it blows up.
A number of fans also joked that the team now resembles a lower-tier mix rather than a historically elite organization:
- “Another tier 3 roster.”
- “Virtus.semipro.”
- “Not even a tier 2 team.”
Still, a smaller portion of the community expressed cautious optimism about the academy promotions:
Anyway it’s better than what we had before. Let’s go VP.
The debate reflects the broader uncertainty surrounding the project — a roster built almost entirely from internal talent rather than proven tier-one stars.
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A risky but interesting rebuild
Virtus.pro’s decision represents one of the most radical rebuilds in recent CIS Counter-Strike history. Instead of pursuing expensive signings, the organization has effectively reset the project around academy players and a returning veteran leader.
Whether that gamble will pay off remains to be seen. If the young duo adapts quickly to tier-one competition, Virtus.pro could rebuild a competitive core at relatively low cost. If not, the roster may struggle to climb back up the VRS rankings.
For now, the organization is betting on potential — and hoping its academy pipeline can deliver the next generation of Virtus.pro players.
