Virtus.pro is one of the most well-known esports organizations in the industry. The organization entered the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene in 2014 after picking up a roster of famed and accomplished players:
- Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski
- Paweł "byali" Bieliński
- Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas
- Filip “NEO” Kubski
- Jarosław “pashaBiceps” Jarząbkowski
While not the original “Golden Five” from Counter-Strike 1.6, this variation is widely regarded as one of the most successful teams to ever compete in professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
After the roster was signed to Virtus.pro, they quickly earned the “Virtus.plow” nickname, used to describe the roster’s tendency to snowball matches in their favor. Armed to the teeth with riflers like Snax and TaZ while also relying on strategic outplays provided by NEO, the roster entered CSGO with a bang.
In 2014, Virtus.pro secured a second-place finish at EMS One Katowice before winning their first Major title in the second Valve sponsored tournament in Counter-Strike's history. The team took first place in its group, defeating both Hellraisers and Titan to book a spot in the playoffs. Over the course of EMS One, VP only lost a single map on their way to the grand finals to face off against Ninjas in Pyjamas.
At Katowice, VP took the win over NiP and with it the first and only major trophy for Virtus.pro. The Major win was followed by top-three placings at DreamHack Winer 2014, CSGO Legends Series II, FaceIT League’s Season 2.
Virtus.pro also had the honor of holding a top-ten world ranking for an impressive amount of time. The original roster spent nearly four years at the top of Counter-Strike Global Offensive, ranging from fourth in October 2015 to eleventh when it finally left the top ten in June 2017.
Even after starting its downward trend, VP’s roster still had moments of greatness. The team narrowly lost to Astralis in the grand finals of the ELEAGUE Atlanta Major 2017.
The roster’s continued dominance wasn’t meant to be, as rumors of a rift inside Virtus.pro leaked into the public domain. TaZ was the first to leave, departing VP shortly after his four-year anniversary with the organization. Snax, byali, and NEO followed shortly afterward.
PashaBiceps was the last to leave, officially doing so in February 2019.
In response, Virtus.pro attempted to field several new rosters, all of which failed to live up to the expectations of the brand. In a blockbuster buyout, VP acquired an ascending AVANGAR roster wholesale in December 2019.
