Jame benched after 5 years at VP in post-season reshuffle

by

As a gamer with over a decade of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia as I witness the benching of Jame from Virtus.pro. I remember watching him rise through the ranks, his name etched into the annals of CS history with AVANGAR and then VP.

Jame Time is up as the Virtus,pro captain is benched after a dismal Shanghai Major run.

Approximately five years after joining Virtus.pro’s CS:2 squad, their AWPer and captain Dzhami “Jame” Ali has been temporarily stepped aside by the Russian organization due to subpar performance throughout 2024 and an early elimination at the Shanghai Major.

26-year-old marksman’s departure from VP signals a thrilling off-season full of team reshuffling, as leading groups reposition themselves ahead of the New Year. The most significant shifts are still on the horizon, though, with the Shanghai Major concluding over the weekend.

Captain Jame goes down with VP’s ship

On December 11, it was officially announced that Jame was stepped down from his role, with Nikolai Petrossian, VP CEO, expressing gratitude towards the AWPer for his dedication. He acknowledged that Jame is a legendary figure in VP and Counter-Strike overall. Furthermore, he mentioned that it’s time for some fresh changes within the VP team.

In addition to the VP’s statement, James himself provided a quote. He conveyed his heartfelt appreciation towards Virtus.рro, where he had spent years that he would never forget. He acknowledged that this phase was the most prosperous in his career, a time when he gained valuable knowledge, encountered extraordinary individuals, and secured notable victories.

In 2019, Jame transitioned to VP following a highly accomplished tenure with AVANGAR, which culminated in a significant final appearance in Berlin. Alongside his AVANGAR colleagues, Jame first wore the black-and-orange colors at EPICENTER 2019. Yet, there were evident challenges as the team acclimated to their new life at VP.

During the COVID era, I gradually stacked up achievements, setting myself up for a fast start in 2022. Just shy of making the playoffs at the Antwerp Major in May, our team didn’t give up and persevered. Our efforts paid off in Rio where we emerged victorious against Heroic with a scoreline of 2-0, as underdogs (Outsiders). I was honored to be named the MVP of the Rio Major, boasting a 1.30 HLTV rating for the tournament.

Surprisingly enough, I found myself watching as VP failed to qualify for the BLAST Paris Major 2023, and that’s where things started to unravel. The move to controversially bench our fifth player, Aleksandr “KaiR0N-” Anashkin, midway through the RMR was met with widespread criticism, and rightly so.

After that point, the team found it hard to make a significant impact. There was high hope that the combination of Jaime and VP would improve with the addition of Denis “electronic” Sharipov from Cloud9 in April, but aside from brief playoff appearances, it seemed their time had come to an end.

The route from Shanghai to Wildcard proved fatal. James’ performance statistics significantly dropped since he first joined VP. With the team’s shortcomings and him being the captain, it was inevitable that a change would occur. (Paraphrased)

Let the CS2 roster shuffle season begin

James’ benching signifies that the upcoming off-season will likely be filled with roster adjustments, particularly among the elite teams in Counter-Strike 2.

Previously unsuccessful teams in the qualifiers for the Shanghai Major have decided to discontinue their current endeavors. Teams such as Astralis, SAW, Aurora, 9Pandas, and 9INE have started to part ways with some of their players.

That’s not to mention that the Shanghai Major is ongoing, with teams awaiting the conclusion of the event. We’ve also already heard of multiple changes coming at the tier one level, with Nikolai “NiKo” Kovac all but confirmed off to Falcons after the season wraps.

Read More

2024-12-11 20:12