Virtus.pro have officially released Ilya "Perfecto" Zalutskiy, sending the 27-year-old Russian in-game leader into free agency on August 3, 2026. The move ends his tenure with the Bears that began in June 2025, when he was signed to replace the benched Timur "FL4MUS" Marev.
Perfecto originally joined as a rifler but was elevated to the in-game leader position after Denis "electroNic" Sharipov was moved to the bench. Under his call, Virtus.pro's results collapsed dramatically — the team lost every match at the start of 2026 and plummeted to 100th in the Valve Regional Standings.
Rebuild forces the split
Perfecto was benched alongside Dzhami "FL1T" Ali and Bogdan "fame" Kovalenko earlier in 2026 as Virtus.pro pivoted to a rebuild around academy players. His release today formalizes the split.
In their farewell statement, the organization wrote: "Since joining the Bears in June 2025, Perfecto has represented our colors at the highest level of CS2. We'd like to thank him for his professionalism, dedication, and everything he brought to the team."
What comes next
Perfecto is one of the more experienced free agents on the market right now. His trophy cabinet includes a StarLadder Berlin Major win with Gambit Youngsters in 2019 and multiple deep runs on Na'Vi during the CS:GO era. With rostermania in full swing ahead of the fall season and the Esports World Cup 2026 Last Chance Qualifier looming in Paris, teams looking for a veteran support piece or secondary caller will have a genuine option on the table.
At 27, Perfecto still has years of top-flight play ahead of him. Whether he lands with a tier-one European side or takes a step down to a rebuild project will define the next chapter of his career.
