Virtus.pro GM: "[Changes?] It all depends on whether we qualify for the Major"

Sergey Glamazda, the General Manager of Virtus.pro, commented on the team's poor RMR results and the future of the lineup.

In a podcast for the Virtus.pro fan app Bearloga, the organization's General Manager Sergey Glamazda spoke about a plethora of topics, including their CS:GO roster which is currently ranked fifth in the world. His comments were first reported on by Cybersport.ru.

Throughout 2021, the CIS powerhouse Virtus.pro has been firmly rooted in the top 10, ranking as high as No. 3 in March, but a last-place finish at the StarLadder CIS RMR event in June-July jeopardized qualification for the biggest event of the year — the PGL Stockholm Major. Only five teams from the CIS region will advance to the Major and Virtus.pro are currently in sixth place of the RMR ranking, trailing fifth-placed FORZE by 850 points.

Finishing 5-6th at IEM Cologne, the last event before the break, alleviated some of the pressure that was mounting on Dzhami "⁠Jame⁠" Ali's team. However, Glamazda explained that a roster change isn't out of the question - but not before the last RMR tournament is played:

"Do we expect replacements in the CS: GO main roster? Let's just say it all depends on whether we qualify for the Major. Naturally, our goal is to get through, [...] but our last RMR tournament was obviously a failure. Now we need to perform really well at the upcoming RMR event in September"

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Glamazda went on to explain that he is not interested in a roster change that would move them up one spot in the world ranking, as they have been consistently among the top 5-10 teams in the world. "Any next substitution should automatically bring us to top 1 or top 2."

"I understand the logic of people who watch statistics or [unsuccessful] performances, and the first thing that comes to their minds is, 'Let's change something.' But any substitution is always stressful in terms of rebuilding the training process," Glamazda expanded. "Not all players are ready to play in exactly the same position as the previous player."

Virtus.pro's General Manager added the price of a potential buyout into the equation as well, stating that a replacement might cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"You cannot take $300,000 to $400,000 from the budget and buy a new player at every whim. No, you focus on training, on motivation, on the individual level of the game, looking for some things that can get the most out of your squad in order to win. And only at that moment — when you have an obvious plateau and you cannot climb further —, only then do you need a replacement that will really make you stronger."

According to Glamazda's comments, Virtus.pro's roster will remain unchanged at least until September. The team's first challenge after the player break will be getting out of group B at ESL Pro League Season 14, where they are placed alongside teams such as G2 and Complexity.