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Just hours after Virtus.pro’s elimination from the IEM Dallas group stage by BIG in the lower bracket semi-final, the Armenian organization announced that Counter-Strike 2 coach Dastan “dastan” Akbayev has been relieved of his duties.
The 30-year-old Kazakhstani skipper will be replaced by analyst Pavel “PASHANOJ” Legostaev at the team’s next event, the BLAST Premier Spring Final.
— Virtus.pro (@virtuspro) May 30, 2024
Dastan had managed Virtus.pro since 2019, when the organization acquired the AVANGAR roster that won BLAST Pro Series Moscow.
He stood behind the team through all their victories, including Flashpoint 2, CS_summit 7, IEM Rio Major 2022 (under Outsiders), and ESL Challenger Atlanta 2023.
The shake-up in Virtus.pro’s ranks comes after a rough first half of 2024, despite the recent inclusion of star player Denis “electroNic” Sharipov.
The Russian squad has not made it past the quarter-finals at any event this year and crashed out of IEM Katowice in the play-in stage and in the Copenhagen Major’s group stage.
Virtus.pro’s recent struggles in events such as ESL Pro League Season 19, BetBoom Dacha Belgrade, and now IEM Dallas have prompted the organization to take action.
The team’s analyst, Pavel “PASHANOJ” Legostaev, will step up as the coach at the upcoming BLAST Premier Spring Finals, starting on June 12 in London.
Fans eagerly anticipate how the team will perform under their new temporary coach at the OVO Arena Wembley.
