Virtus.Pro ends Jame time with benching announcement

In a surprising, yet somewhat inevitable move, Jame has been benched by Virtus.Pro after five years with the organization. Both the organization and Jame announced they will be exploring their options.

The team’s journey wasn’t without its struggles, and Jame held both the IGL and AWPing duties in VP for several years. Virtus.Pro went from #38 in rankings by September 2021, but later found their footing, with their newest piece yek1ndar clicking well as the entry fragger.

By March 2021, they were able to climb up to #3, in what was the best year for the roster, starting with a victory at cs_summit 7 and later securing second place at IEM Katowice.

Image Copyright ESL | Michal Konkol A year later, however, Virtus.Pro did return to the spotlight. Under Jame’s leadership, who has been the most reliable piece with his 1.14 rating, Virtus.Pro has stayed within the top 10 to top 15 range since then, but have never quite been able to push for titles. Their 3-4th standing in the EWC 2024 has been the upperbound for VP in this year.

This decision might seem surprising at first, but 2024 has witnessed a noticeable dip in Jame’s performance. I think a change in leadership is the way to go for Virtus.Pro as it can reinvigorate the team. As for the AWPing duties, the CIS region is known for being rich with gifted AWPers. As such, finding a replacement for Jame might not be as tall of an order as one might think.

We will likely see his replacement and his next destination team by the end of the year or by early January.