Virtus.pro exit on the cards for YEKINDAR - Report

The Latvian star will reportedly consider his future in Virtus.pro after the Major.

Virtus.pro might lose their star rifler soon as Dexerto has reported that Mareks "⁠YEKINDAR⁠" Gaļinskis will be contemplating his future with the Russian organization following the conclusion of the PGL Major Antwerp, scheduled for May 9-22. Sources tell HLTV.org that a split between the player and the organization is the most likely outcome.

The 22-year-old player and his teammates have competed in the last two tournaments under the Outsiders tag, as Virtus.pro was barred from participating in ESL Pro League Season 15 and the PGL Major using their usual name and branding due to the organization's ties to the Russian state.

In a recent interview, Virtus.pro's general manager Sergei Glamazda said that YEKINDAR is in the worst spot out of any players on the team due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "He is from Europe, from Latvia, and people there have completely different opinions than those in Russia. So he is under the worst pressure of all players. But he is competing, demonstrating his skill. I'm very thankful to him for that. He doesn't give up regardless of the pressure."

In March, shortly after the conclusion of IEM Katowice, YEKINDAR revealed that he was unsure about his future on the team, as travel restrictions and sanctions threatened to leave his squad without a chance to compete. While the Virtus.pro lineup managed to play two more tournaments, it seems like YEKINDAR will be looking to transfer to a different organization nonetheless, following in the footsteps of Abay "⁠HObbit⁠" Khassenov and co.

Read more

Cloud9 returns to CS:GO with acquisition of Gambit roster

YEKINDAR posted a team-high 1.11 rating at their latest outing in Bucharest, where Outsiders scraped by Dignitas and SAW to earn a spot in the Challengers Stage of the Major. The eighth-best player of last year and a relentlessly aggressive one to boot, YEKINDAR will surely be on many teams' wish lists for their post-Major shopping, with his proficiency in both English and Russian making him an even more appealing pickup.