Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gainskis bought himself out of his contract with Virtus.pro, the Latvian stated via his Twitter account. As a result, he is now a free agent.

The decision formally ends the rifler’s two-year affiliation with the Russian organization, which began in May 2020 when he was hired to replace Timur “buster” Tulepov.

Over a two-year period, YEKINDAR worked for Virtus.pro, which subsequently became Outsiders. The 23-year-old helped his team advance to the playoffs at numerous Big Events during that period, securing fifth- to sixth-place finishes at IEM Cologne 2021 and IEM Katowice 2022, along with a top-eight performance at PGL Major Stockholm.

The Latvian superstar also earned a position on HLTV’s top 20 players of 2021, where his 1.14 rating throughout the course of the year earned him a place at No. 8.

What really happened?

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, YEKINDAR was open about the uncertainty of his position on the Outsiders roster.

Towards the end of IEM Katowice, the 23-year-old said in an interview that “it is highly probable that there will be a few changes” if there are any regulations or restrictions relating to my teammate’s arrival from Russia at the competitions, visa issues, or rules from the event planners themselves.

Changes soon occurred, with the organization benching both YEKINDAR and buster after the team finished 9–12th at PGL Major Antwerp in May.

The delay in YEKINDAR’s release from his contract was attributed, in part, to the change in ownership at Virtus.pro. Aram Karamanukyan, the CEO of the corporation and an Armenian national, is currently in charge of the organization.

Move to Team Liquid?

YEKINDAR has recently been seen working with Liquid, where he has established himself as a key player for the team that has seen a turnaround in performance. They recently finished second in the ESL Pro League Season 16 and qualified for the IEM Major Rio with a win at the IEM Road to Rio Americas RMR.

Since a few months ago, YEKINDAR has been officially connected to Liquid, yet any transfer up to this point has been doubtful due to US-imposed sanctions on Virtus.pro. With the Latvian now out of his contract, there seem to be few if any obstacles standing in the way of the 23-year-old making the formal transition to the North American squad.

In addition, YEKINDAR is scheduled to compete at IEM Major Rio with Nick “nitr0” Cannella and colleagues.