Virtus.pro begins a new chapter with a fresh start, with 17-year-old rising star b1st replacing ICY as their sniper.

Virtus.pro announced a major overhaul of their Counter-Strike 2 roster, officially removing Kazakh player ICY from the starting lineup and replacing him with 17-year-old rookie b1st from their academy team.

This move marks the team's determination to restart with a younger lineup after experiencing fluctuations in performance. ICY joined Virtus.pro in December 2024 as part of the roster restructuring, but his performance has not met expectations.

During his time there, ICY averaged a 1.02 HLTV rating. Despite helping the team to a 5th–6th place finish at IEM Katowice 2025, their overall performance failed to bring the team back to the top ranks. As the team continued to strive for stability in the Counter-Strike 2 era, management ultimately decided to make personnel changes.

In his place, b1st is one of the most promising young players in Virtus.pro's youth system. He has a 1.17 rating across 37 maps, demonstrating excellent mechanics and calm judgment.

Virtus.pro originally planned to have b1st debut in the CS Asia Championship 2025, but this was not possible due to the tournament's lineup regulations. Now he has finally had the opportunity to officially be promoted to the main team and will serve as the new main sniper.

On November 3rd, Virtus.pro will debut a completely new roster at IEM Chengdu, marking b1st's debut on the international stage. This change is seen as a key step for the team to forge a strong future with its young roster. While there may be a short-term adjustment period, the team is widely optimistic about b1st's potential and believes it will inject new vitality into the team.