Virtus.pro

Virtus.pro (VP, "Bears") is a Russian eSports club founded in 2003. Multiple champions of international tournaments, is one of the top 5 clubs in the world in terms of prize money won (more than $ 16 million). The club is represented in five gaming disciplines: Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG, and PUBG Mobile.

Virtus.pro club was founded in November 2003 by producer Irina "Runcha" Semenova. The name "Virtus.pro" means "valor professional" (from Latin "Beatitudo pop est virtutis praemium, sed ipsa virtus"). The club was created on the basis of the Counter-Strike 1.6 (CS) team, the original roster included players Ivan "F_1N" Kochugov, Peter "Patrik" Zakharov, Viktor "Sally" Filimonchenko, Vitaly "Ant1killer" Smirnov and Sergey "MegioN" Ignatko (the latter has headed the cybersports club forZe since 2017). Among the significant achievements of the CS squad are bronze medals at ESWC 2004, as well as first places at ACON 5 and Intel Challenge Cup 2007. Virtus.pro also had a DotA Allstars squad in 2007.

In 2009, the club took a pause and froze all lineups. The pause lasted until April 2011, when Anton "Sneg1" Cherepennikov (who joined the club as an investor and manager) and Irina "Runcha" Semenova announced the resumption of Virtus.pro activities. Iron Will became the basis for the Counter-Strike 1.6 team. Shortly thereafter, Irina Semenova leaves Virtus.pro, fully transferring the club to Anton Cherepennikov. In 2012, Virtus.pro also opened a Dota 2 lineup.

In 2015, Anton Cherepennikov, together with Alexander Kokhanovsky, who owned the NAVI club at the time, created the ESforce eSports holding company, which, along with a number of other eSports assets, included the Virtus.pro club.

In 2016, Roman Dvoryankin, who had previously managed marketing at hockey club Spartak, was appointed general manager of Virtus.pro.

On January 23, 2018, Mail.ru Group bought the ESforce holding along with the Virtus.pro club for $100 million.

In late 2019 and early 2020, the club's general manager changed: instead of Roman Dvoryankin, Sergey Glamazda, who previously served as director of new vertical development at Nielsen's Russian office, became the club's general manager.

Players from Virtus.pro's Dota 2, CS:GO, and Fortnite squads took part in the TV show "Evening Urgant" on Channel One four times in 2019-2020.

At the moment the club has rosters in Dota 2, CS:GO, Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG and PUBG MOBILE.