Virtus.pro changes Dota 2 team, benches RodjER, adds Resolut1on

Virtus.pro continues to heavily overhaul its Dota 2 roster following a disappointing showing at The International 2019.

The organization announced multiple changes, benching Vladimir “RodjER” Nikogosyan and adding two new players with Roman “Resolut1on” Fominok and Egor “epileptick1d” Grigorenko. Resolut1on joins as a permanent member of the team, while epileptick1d joins on a trial basis.

Virtus.pro revealed the news on its website.

“It was a tough month, but we decided against postponing our season entrance to a later date. I’m happy to welcome Resolut1on to the team,” VP general manager Roman Dvoryankin said in a statement. “Egor is among the most promising young players in our region, and we’ve decided to give him a chance to prove himself. We’ll make the final decision about his future in the team judging by the qualifier’s results.”

The changes are interesting ones for a team that is looking for a fresh start.

New Virtus.pro lineup is strong but incomplete

Virtus.pro will likely be well-served by the addition of Resolut1on.

Resolut1on started his career as a journeyman in the CIS region but became a prominent name in Dota 2 in 2013 as the carry player for Team Empire. From there, he transitioned to the North American scene to join Digital Chaos. He enjoyed solid results with the team, most notably finishing second at The International 2016, but found himself in an awkward spot once the team dissolved in 2017.

He has consistently landed with formidable teams since then including OG, VGJ.Storm, and Forward Gaming, but has rarely spent longer than six months with any of them. Despite that, he remains a high-end talent and should be a solid addition to the roster despite playing in a new offlane role.

Epileptick1d is a major question mark for the team. The player sits atop the European and CIS Dota 2 ranked ladder in the carry position, a feat that certainly suggests he is a premiere talent, but he has no experience with high-end Dota 2 teams. A number of top pub game players have enjoyed instant success at the professional level, and Epileptick1d is hoping to be the next in line following Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen’s TI triumphs with OG.

Vladimir “No[o]ne” Minenko and Alexey “Solo” Berezin remain with the team, but Virtus.pro still has one last hole to plug. The team has benched RodjER and listed him as being available for transfer, leaving the roster without a soft support player. The organization will need to sign a new support player before October 5, when the qualifiers to the MDL Chengdu Major and Dota Summit 11 begin.