Virtus.Pro Emerges Victorious at StarLadder i-League Invitational
In a surprising turn of events, Virtus.Pro emerged as the winners of the StarLadder i-League Invitational in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This legendary lineup, which many analysts, casters, and the general community had given up on, proved their critics wrong with their stunning performance. Despite calls for a roster change and suggestions to bring in talented players like Oskar or Niko, Virtus.Pro managed to defy expectations and dominate the tournament. This win is particularly noteworthy because it marks the end of their seven-month dry spell, during which they had not won an international LAN tournament.
A Streak of Unsuccessful Tournaments
2015:
In November 2015, Virtus.Pro won the CEVO S8 tournament, bagging a prize money of $40,000. They had a smooth run, with 2-0 and 3-0 wins against Titan in the semi-final and Mousesports in the final. However, this victory marked the beginning of their longest streak of unsuccessful tournaments.
On November 21, Virtus.Pro finished the Intel Extreme Masters Season X San Jose in the top-eight but failed to secure a place in the top-four. They suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Team Liquid, managing to win only 11 rounds in the entire best-of-three series, with scores of 16-2 and 16-9.
From November 26-29, Virtus.Pro managed to reach the top-four of the FACEIT 2015 LAN Finals. They won against Team Liquid and Legacy, both lower-ranked teams, but lost to Fnatic in their only duel against a top-ranked team.
Challenges in 2016
2016:
In January 2016, Virtus.Pro had a disappointing start to the year with a last-place finish at DH Leipzig. They lost to Mouz in a best-of-one and Dignitas in a best-of-three, both teams ranked lower than Virtus.Pro.
In March 2016, Virtus.Pro participated in IEM Katowice in front of their home crowd. They barely managed to make it out of the groups and suffered a defeat to Fnatic in the first playoff match, finishing in the top-six. Many disappointed fans chose not to continue watching the tournament.
During the Counter Pit S2 tournament in Split, Croatia, Virtus.Pro hoped to reach the finals and finally secure a trophy after months of unsuccessful tournaments. However, they only managed to win against Team Immunity and suffered a defeat against the tournament winners, Natus Vincere.
In March, Virtus.Pro participated in the MLG Columbus 2016, the first Major of the year with a new prize money of $1 Million. Once again, they fell short and finished in the top-eight, losing to the eventual winners, Luminosity.
At DreamHack Malmo 2016, Virtus.Pro managed to top their group but suffered a defeat in the first playoff game against NIP. As a result, they finished in the top-eight without securing a medal.
Apart from their poor performance, Virtus.Pro also faced the challenge of consistently playing against the eventual winners of the tournaments. This made their path to victory even more difficult. However, despite all odds, they showed resilience and determination throughout their journey.
Finally, on May 22, Virtus.Pro broke their seven-month dry spell and emerged as the winners of an offline event. Despite considering dropping out due to unfair rules, they decided to stay and play. Their determination paid off, and they deserve enormous respect for their victory.
Article by: TRBA8L