Virtus.pro has unveiled the transfer of Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy on a free transfer.
The move came shortly after the organisation had announced the removal of Timur “FL4MUS” Marev from the starting lineup.
The 20-year-old rifler only got to play six months with electroNic and company.
Perfecto joins Virtus.pro after having been benched on Cloud9 since April last year, marking a much-needed return for the strong anchor, who has seen limited playing time in that period.
“One of the best anchors”
The roster change follows a disappointing season for VP, where they have struggled making deep tournament runs.
Speaking on the roster change, Virtus.pro CEO Nikolai Petrossian shared the team’s reasoning:
“After the end of the season, we sat down with the players and coaching staff to discuss our next steps and the overall direction for the team. We’re all committed to improving our results and believe in the potential of this roster. As a result of those discussions, we made the decision to adjust the lineup.
CS fans know Ilya as one of the best anchor players in the world. His arrival will allow us to redistribute in-game roles and help unlock the full potential of our players.”
Reuniting with electroNic
With Perfecto joining the Virtus.pro ship, it means that the 25-year-old is set to regroup with his former teammate Denis “electroNic” Sharipov.
The Russian duo was a key pillar in NAVI’s success, which granted them both a Major title and an Intel Grand Slam between 2020 and 2023.
After a brief stint with Cloud9, the pair went their separate ways, where electroNic joined Virtus.pro, while Perfecto was benched.
Current Virtus.pro lineup:
Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev
Petr “fame” Bolyshev
Kaisar “ICY” Faiznurov
Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy
Ivan “F_1N” Kochugov (coach)
