Veteran CS2 rifler Ilya `Perfecto` Zalutskiy, recently returned to competitive play with Virtus.pro, has shed light on his year-long absence from the scene and confirmed previous speculation that he was significantly close to joining G2 Esports before his move to VP materialized.
Perfecto had been on the sidelines since April 2024 after being moved to the inactive roster by Cloud9. This period, he admits, was challenging. Speaking in a recent interview with HLTV.org, Zalutskiy revealed the difficulty of watching others compete while he was unable. He emphasized that he used the time for reflection and is now “fully ready.” “It was hard to watch everyone play because I really wanted to myself,” he remarked. “I thought a lot, rethought everything, so now I`m completely ready. Better late than never, as they say.”
He also clarified the circumstances surrounding his lack of opportunities *before* becoming a free agent in Spring 2025. While teams expressed interest, none were prepared to buy out his contract from Cloud9. This led him to wait until he was unattached to “independently choose a team,” rather than being limited by buyout negotiations.
Upon announcing his free agency status, Perfecto wasn`t short on attention. He stated he received “about four” offers from teams across Europe, North America, and South America, in addition to the eventual proposal from Virtus.pro. He deliberately chose not to name the specific teams involved in these discussions.
However, the most striking revelation concerns the European powerhouse, G2 Esports. Perfecto confirmed that “full negotiations” took place, acknowledging that this was already somewhat public knowledge. While he didn`t specify the exact timing, he confirmed they were “almost agreed.” Ultimately, the deal fell through “for a number of reasons,” a common fate for many transfer discussions, but one that leaves fans wondering what a Perfecto-G2 lineup might have looked like.
Interestingly, discussions about Perfecto potentially joining Virtus.pro weren`t entirely new when the recent signing happened. Zalutskiy mentioned there were “theoretical” possibilities or talks in the past, though they didn`t come to fruition at the time. He concluded on this point by stating the main thing was that the offer came *now*, when he was ready to commit.
After a period of waiting and exploring options that included a near-miss with a top European team, Perfecto`s journey brings him to Virtus.pro. He is set to make his official debut under the Virtus.pro banner at FISSURE Playground #1, scheduled to commence on July 15th.
