Win.gg
Dota 2
Virtus.pro deactivates Dota 2 team ahead of ESL One Germany
Virtus.pro deactivates Dota 2 team ahead of ESL One Germany
After a string of poor results, Virtus.pro is looking to rebuild its Dota 2 division. The Russian organization announced that it will be skipping ESL One Germany 2020 as a result.
The news comes only a couple of days after rumours surfaced that Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev would be re-joining the team, while Danil “gpk” Skutin joined sister team VP.Prodigy.
It is currently unknown how drastic Virtus Pro’s roster revamp will be, nor if it will continue to play with longtime captain Alexey “Solo” Berezin. Russian news page CYBERSLOVO reports that Natus Vincere support Ilyas “Illias” Ganeev could be heading to VP.Prodigy together with gpk, at which point VP.Prodigy will be elevated to being Virtus.pro’s primary roster. CYBERSLOVO also notes that this move would resolve the organization’s “issue of completely abandoning the main team” and clearing up large contracts the main roster has on its payroll.
With so many premier CIS teams making moves, this year’s shuffle is proving to be one of the biggest in the history of Dota 2.
Virtus.pro had a rough season in Dota 2
Virtus.pro itself has largely underwhelmed this season. The organization which spent three seasons at the top of the scene looked like a shadow of its former self during this year’s DPC season. The team’s victories at Parimatch League Season 3 and ESL One Los Angeles have been largely offset by their inconsistent form. The final nail in the coffin seemed to be the team’s lackluster seventh-place finish at the OMEGA League European Immortal Division.
Numerous roster shuffles have failed to recreate the team’s past successes, with up-and-coming players like Egor “epileptick1d” Grigorenko and Vitalie “Save-” Melnic lasting only a couple of months with the main team before being moved to VP.Prodigy.
With such a big shuffle underway, there are certainly more surprises in store down the road. But Virtus.pro will definitely have to dig deep if it wants to emulate its past dominance.
Current Virtus.pro inactive roster:
- Igor “iLTW” Filatov
- Vladimir “No[o]ne” Minenko
- Roman “Resolut1on” Fominok
- Bakyt “Zayac” Emilzhanov
- Алексей “Solo” Berezin
- Ivan “ArtStyle” Antonov (Coach)
Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.
View full profile
Read Also
Dota 2
TI15’s opening ceremony weaves a tapestry of emotion for Valve’s storied title
Michael Hassall
The main stage of The International 2026, TI15, kicked off today with the traditional opening ceremony heralding the start of the biggest celebration of Dota 2 on the calendar. On Aug. 20 fans in Shanghai, China, and at home, were treated to a rousing 11-minute series of performances and video packages, introducing TI15’s main stage show. Here’s how the magic unfolded: The ceremony began with a graphic which quite literally ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Playoffs preview and predictions
Michael Hassall
The Group Stage of The International 2026, TI15, is in the books and we’ve whittled down 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams to just eight finalists. One of these talented lineups will be the ones lifting the Aegis of Champions come Sunday, Aug. 23, but until then, there’s plenty of playoff shenanigans that could go on. Below we’ve put together a preview of the upcoming Playoff Games, along ...
News
The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027
Ben Boland
The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...
Dota 2
Team Spirit vs Iron Wing at TI15: Best Betting Predictions and Picks
Owen Harsono
The playoffs for TI15 starts off with an absolute banger of a match between Team Spirit and Iron Wing, and the betting odds could not be any closer. Here are our TI15 Team Spirit vs Iron Wing predictions. Tournament: The International 2026 (TI15) Stage: Playoffs Game: Dota 2 Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: This is the closest series we have at the first round of the TI15 playoffs, as ...
Dota 2
Who Will Win The International 2026 (TI15)? These Are Our Best Picks
Owen Harsono
The TI15 group stage is over, and we’re down to the top eight teams. We’ve now got a pretty good idea of which teams are the favorites heading into the playoffs based on recent performance and season results, so here are the teams we think have the best shot at winning TI15 and claiming some of The International prize pool. The TI15 group stage saw eight teams exit the event ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Elimination Stage Preview and Predictions
Owen Harsono
The TI15 Group Stage is almost over, and all that’s left is the very deadly Elimination Stage, which will eliminate five teams and allow the five survivors to advance to the playoffs. Below, we’ll walk you through how the Elimination Stage works, the matchups, and our best picks. The Elimination Stage is the final phase of the TI15 Group Stage. The modified Swiss format promotes the top three teams directly ...
Dota 2
Team Spirit vs TEAM VISION at TI15: Best Betting Predictions and Picks
Owen Harsono
We’re two days into TI15, and we have our first significant match of the tournament. Team Spirit will take on TEAM VISION (PARIVISION) for the first playoff spot. Here are our predictions for the big match. Tournament: The International 2026 (TI15) Stage: Group Stage Game: Dota 2 Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: TEAM VISION enter TI15 as the tournament favorites, but Team Spirit are playing under zero pressure at ...