YEKINDAR cut ties with Virtus.pro, enters free agency

The Latvian CS:GO star Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gainskis buys out his remaining contract with the Virtus.pro to become a free agent.

In order to become a free CS:GO agent before the 2023 season, the Latvian entry fragger YEKINDAR has bought his contract with Virtus.pro. The 23-year-old achieved several decent finishes with the Russian organization, including 5-6th places at IEM Cologne 2021 and IEM Katowice 2022, as well as top-eight finishes at PGL Major Stockholm. YEKINDAR was a standout performance for the team, particularly in 2021. He received a 1.14 rating and was ranked as the eighth-best player in the world that year. He wouldn’t be a free agent for very long, given his past performances for VP and Team Liquid.

Why did YEKINDAR leave Virtus.pro ?

Since the Russia-Ukraine war, many Russian esports groups have come under intense public and fan criticism. Sanctions have affected Gambit and Virtus.pro most significantly, forcing them to play under the neutral names M3 Champions and Outsiders, respectively.

As a Latvian citizen competing for a Russian esports organization, YEKINDAR was reportedly also subjected to intense public pressure. This tense and stressful situation led the 23-year-old rifler to abandon the Russian organization. The Latvian player has not competed for VP since the end of the PGL Antwerp Major 2022 in May.

YEKINDAR is likely to join Team Liquid

While there are several potential destinations for the talented entry-level fragger in Europe, there is a strong chance that Team Liquid will consider signing YEKINDAR even before the 2023 season. YEKINDAR has been competing for Team Liquid as a stand-in since being benched in May. YEKINDAR represented the North American organization in four tournaments in a row, including IEM Cologne 2022, BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022, ESL Pro League Season 16, and IEM Road to Rio 2022: American RMR. He showcased outstanding individual performances while making an equal contribution to team play.

Since filling in for Liquid at IEM Cologne, speculations had been circulating that YEKINDAR would join the American organization. Liquid’s plan to buy YEKINDAR was further confirmed by Steve “jokasteve” Perino, General Manager of Team Liquid, who revealed that they were trying to work out a “nice long-term” contract with the rifler and hoped to have something positive soon. However, the deal wasn’t possible due to the obvious US-imposed sanctions against Russian businesses. The Latvian’s contract has already been terminated, therefore there should be no obstacles standing in the way of the 23-year-old making the move to the North American squad. The North American organization has also confirmed that he will be traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the rest of Team Liquid in order to compete at the IEM Rio Major 2022.

 Header: Virtus.pro/ YEKINDAR