Cloud9’s Perfecto Free of Buyout and Ready for CS2 Offers

Damien Furey

Published: Aug 5, 2026

Ilya ‘Perfecto’ Zalutskiy is officially a free agent in CS2. Nearly 12 months after playing his last official match for Cloud9, the 24-year-old Russian announced on April 14 that his contractual obligations to the organisation have expired – removing the high buyout that had blocked multiple transfer attempts during his inactive period.

Perfecto confirmed the news directly on X, noting he remains motivated and is open to offers across multiple roles, including his established anchor position. His announcement directed interested parties to contact him via email, signalling he is actively fielding approaches rather than waiting on a single preferred destination.

Why It Took This Long

The delay was well-documented. Speaking to HLTV in January 2025, Perfecto explained that a high buyout clause had complicated his chances of finding a new team, alongside potential role conflicts at prospective teams. With his contractual obligations now behind him, he is available without a buyout attached, making a transfer considerably easier to complete.

Perfecto originally joined Cloud9 in July 2023 alongside Denis ‘electroNic’ Sharipov following their departure from NAVI. Despite fielding a strong roster on paper, the CIS squad failed to deliver any notable success. After electroNic departed, Perfecto moved to an inactive role. With his release now confirmed, Cloud9 has no players remaining under contract in its CS division.

What’s on the Table Now

A Major-winning anchor entering free agency without a buyout attached is a genuinely rare situation. In January, Perfecto indicated he would be open to joining a good tier-two stack and does not consider himself a star chasing a spot only at the very top level. During his time away from official competition he periodically took part in showmatches and qualifiers in mix lineups. He acknowledged that this period of inactivity may still leave questions about his competitiveness in the eyes of some teams, but expressed readiness to prove his level in practice.

Source: Pley.gg

Damien Furey

Since: June 3, 2026

Damien Furey has been watching competitive gaming evolve from a niche hobby into a legitimate betting market for over a decade, and he has followed every twist of that journey with genuine enthusiasm. Growing up in Cork, Ireland, he picked up an early interest in both traditional sports betting and PC gaming, and it was only a matter of time before those two worlds collided for him. He now focuses specifically on how odds are shaped and moved in esports markets, why bookmakers price certain titles the way they do, and where sharp bettors can find value that casual punters tend to overlook.

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