Counter Strike 2: Russian team HOTU officially bought out the ownership of Virtus.Pro (VP) support player n0rb3r7..

Russian Counter Strike 2 team HOTU announced on Wednesday via their official X (Twitter) account that they have officially bought out the ownership of on-loan support player n0rb3r7 from Virtus.Pro (VP).

HOTU did not specify n0rb3r7's contract length in their official statement, but according to HLTV, a long-term deal is expected to have been signed by both parties.

This transfer marks the end of n0rb3r7's three-month loan spell and his three-and-a-half-year stint with VP.

During the past three months, n0rb3r7 participated in ESL Pro League Season 22 with HOTU, where they upset top-five teams FURIA and The Mongolz, ultimately achieving a top-14 finish, showcasing his vast experience and leadership capabilities.

Regarding the decision to buy out n0rb3r7's ownership, HOTU CEO Alexander Sivtsev said, "After working alongside him in the ESL Pro League, we witnessed firsthand how n0rb3r7's professional attitude transformed the team atmosphere. His experience is not just a piece of his resume, but a valuable asset that helps every player improve."

n0rb3r7, reflecting on joining HOTU, said, "To return to the top, you must first learn to take a few steps back. In the Pro League, we proved we could compete with top teams, which means we're on the right track. Thank you HOTU for this opportunity."

About n0rb3r7

The 24-year-old n0rb3r7 was born on March 11, 2001, in Russia. He began his professional Counter Strike esports career in 2017, primarily playing as a support.

n0rb3r7's professional career began with dAT Team, where he won the 2018 Alienware League.

In April 2018, following the acquisition of dAT Team, n0rb3r7 became a member of WINSIDE.

During this time, he participated in several tournaments with the team, achieving his best results by reaching the top 8 in the 2019 GG League and a top 19 finish at the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) XIII Katowice Major.

In October 2019, n0rb3r7 was loaned-out to K23. His ownership was subsequently bought out in March of the following year.

During his near two-and-a-half-year spell with K23, n0rb3r7 helped the team win the Kazakhstan qualifier for the World Electronic Games Championship Central Asia and the Pinnacle Winter #1.

In May 2022, n0rb3r7 moved to Virtus.Pro (VP).

During his three-and-a-half-year spell with VP, n0rb3r7 won three offline tournament titles with the team, including the 2022 Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Rio Major, the ESL Challenger Katowice, and the 2024 BLAST Premiere Spring Groups.

However, since the beginning of this year, n0rb3r7 has been inactive, and his position on the VP roster has been taken by FL4MUS.

However, FL4MUS has now also been benched, and his position has been taken by In-Game Leader Perfecto.