Byali steps down from Virtus.pro, team announces replacement
Paweł “byali” Bieliński is stepping away from Virtus.pro.
According to a report from Cybersport.pl, the longtime member of the iconic Polish team is stepping down. The cause is frustration over Virtus.pro’s struggles to this point in 2019, as well as his own in-game stumbles since returning to the team’s active roster in November.
Byali was a member of Virtus.pro’s dynasty years, which lasted from 2014 until 2017 with highlights including the team’s win at the 2014 Katowice Major and taking first place in ELEAGUE’s inaugural season. Despite solid success for years with the same group of players, Virtus.pro fell apart in early 2018.
Roster moves followed and haven’t stopped since, with players moving in and out of the team on a regular basis. That has hampered their performance in a profound way, with the team routinely washing out of qualifiers and struggling at almost every tournament it does compete in.
That has especially been the case in 2019, with Virtus.pro exiting swiftly from the European open qualifiers for a number of events including Dreamhack Open Tours, Intel Extreme Masters XIV Sydney, and ESL One: Cologne 2019. The only live event Virtus.pro has participated in this year was Charleroi Esports 2019, where the team immediately eliminated. Almost every member of Virtus.pro’s legendary lineup split off from the team during this extended tailspin, with Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski being the only person on the current lineup that was a part of those prime years.
Though Byali is gone, Virtus.pro seems committed to keeping up its hectic competitive schedule.
Joining the team as a substitute is Michał “OKOLICIOUZ” Głowaty. A journeyman of the European scene, he has competed in a number of regional leagues, most recently competing in the 99Liga with Euronics. He joins fellow
recent addition
Arek “Vegi” Nawojski, who was added to Virtus.pro following a run with PACT.
Shortly after news broke of OKOLICIOUZ’s addition to the team, the newest iteration of Virtus.pro debuted at Winners League Season 2 with a 16-11 win over the ex-TDR Gaming lineup. Virtus.pro is also also set to compete in the Kalashnikov Cup and ESL Polish Championship.
With that many events coming down the pipe, it won’t take long for fans of the team to discover whether OKOLICIOUZ was the missing ingredient to return Virtus.pro to its former glory.
Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
View full profile
Read Also
Counter-Strike
XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is back after the IEM Cologne Major, as the XSE Pro League 2026 is the first notable event since then. 16 teams book flights to China to compete in the million-dollar event. Here’s everything you need to know about the XSE Pro League 2026 event. Top-tier Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of China, as the event will take place in the city of Guangzhou. Teams will play in ...
Esports Betting
Will Valve add Cache in the CS2 Premier Season 5 Active Duty map pool?
Wasif Ahmed
Following the highly anticipated return of Cache to Counter-Strike 2 earlier this season, the competitive community has almost started believing that the legendary industrial map would soon make its way into the Active Duty map pool for Premier Season 5. This expectation followed a pattern set by Train, which Valve brought back late last year before quickly pushing it into the main professional tournament rotation. However, in a recent Twitter ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Grand Final: Team Falcons vs FURIA best betting predictions
Owen Harsono
Coming into the IEM Cologne Major, nobody would have expected a grand final series between Team Falcons and FURIA, but here we are. Will NiKo finally win his first Major, or will FalleN win another one before retiring at the end of the year? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Grand Final predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Grand Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-five Betting tip: Team Falcons ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons IEM Cologne Major: betting predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as Team Spirit will take on Team Falcons for a spot in the IEM Cologne Major grand final. Will NiKo finally get another shot at winning a Major, or will donk and company prevent him from accomplishing his lifelong goal? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Semi-Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-three Betting ...
Counter-Strike
Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026
Owen Harsono
We’re treated to a possible grand final matchup here in the quarterfinal of the IEM Cologne Major, with Team Vitality taking on Team Falcons in an elimination match. These are two of the highest-profile teams in the game right now, but only one of them can continue their chase for the trophy. Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Vitality vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions
Owen Harsono
The top eight teams at the IEM Cologne 2026 Major are set. Most of the favorites easily secured their spots, but we also have promising underdogs sneaking into the bracket. To keep you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. We started with 32 teams and are now only down to eight. After a grueling Stage 3, teams have been seeded into ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Playoffs Pick’Em Predictions
Owen Harsono
It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...
