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NIP bench alex; promote MisteM to IGL
Ninjas in Pyjamas update their Counter Strike 2 roster by promoting Young Ninjas prospects Gareth "MisteM" Ries and Daniel "sprayxd" Kogan to replace alex and slap.
A new IGL, a new promise!
MisteM will be the new in-game leader of Ninjas in Pyjamas following the benching of Alejandro "alex" Masanet, according to the Swedish organization.
With this, the Spaniard leaves the organization after a rocky ten-month period in which he led two rosters, after the trio of Artem "r1nkle" Moroz, Max "maxster" Jansson, and Isak "isak" Fahlén joined in May of 2024.
Despite the talent boasted by the trio, the roster failed to maintain its early promise in the new season, hence, changes were needed, especially since their average showing wasn’t increasing at the desired rate, according to NIP’s General Manager, Björn "THREAT" Pers.
"We had some very high highs, like at YaLLa, and very low lows, in some online qualifiers, but the problem was that the average was not increasing at the rate we wanted.
We could also see there were a lot of struggles in the mid-round with this team, and while you can't blame that on one person, you can say that this constellation of players doesn't mesh well and a change was needed."
- THREAT, NIP GM
THREAT also expressed his enthusiasm about MisteM's promotion to the main team, highlighting his significant role in the academy project. THREAT emphasized that MisteM embodies the core values of NIP, and he is confident that MisteM will bring the same energy and determination to his new role as the in-game leader (IGL) for the main team.
"He is one of the key pillars of our academy project, and we’re excited to see him bring that same energy and determination to the main team. MisteM embodies the values of NIP, and we are confident that he will thrive as the IGL of our main team."
- THREAT, NIP GM
Young Ninjas reunited
Reuniting with his previous teammate is sprayxd, who's known for his coaching stints with MisteM at Young Ninjas and ATK. He will join as an assistant coach to Richard "Xizt" Landström, effectively replacing Fredrik "slap" Junbrant in the role.
With the Shanghai Major cycle approaching, all eyes are on MisteM and sprayxd. They have a brief two-month window to leave their mark on NIP as the team strives to qualify for their first CS2 Major.
Ninjas in Pyjamas’s final roster is:
- Fredrik "REZ" Sterner
- Artem "r1nkle" Moroz
- Max "maxster" Jansson
- Gareth "MisteM" Ries
- Isak "isak" Fahlén
- Richard "Xizt" Landström (coach)
- Daniel "sprayxd" Kogan (assistant coach)
Featured Image source: NIP, edited by Strafe Esports
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