Ninjas in Pyjamas

Lore & Background

Ninjas in Pyjamas were formed in June 2000. Their biggest success was winning the 2001 Cyberathlete Professional League World Championships after an extremely close final with X3 (a forerunner to Team 3D). Ninjas in Pyjamas struggled to find a sponsor, and as a result, joined the prominent esports organization SK Gaming and were known by the names SK Scandinavia and later SK Sweden. At SK, they continued their success. The prize money from their tournament victories in 2003 totalled approximately US$170,000, and every CPL event that year. Feeling they could secure a larger share of sponsorship money, the team left SK in early 2005. Later in the year, some members returned to SK Gaming, forcing NIP to replace them. Emil Christensen with Tommy Ingemarsson, Managing Directors Peter Hedlund and Victor Lindqvist reformed NIP as a Swedish limited liability company in 2005, due to problems with SK. NIP continued to participate in international tournaments, placing high in many events. They signed some of the biggest sponsorship deals in the scene at that time. The team received about 100,000 members on their website in Europe during their first two years and was also the first team outside of Asia to enter the Asian market. Within six months, they had about 90,000 members on their Asian website. The team was among the most outspoken opponents to the change from the original version of Counter-Strike to the newer Counter-Strike: Source. On 13 November 2015, NIP parted ways with its Dota 2 team, consisting of Elias 'Sealkid' Merta, Jonas 'Jonassomfan' Lindholm, Adrian 'Era' Kryeziu, Simon 'Handsken' Haag and Linus 'Limmp' Blomdin. The cited reason was disappointment over recent performances, as the team had failed to qualify for both The International 2015 and Frankfurt Major. Since then, NIP have had two Dota 2 teams, one formed in 2017 that disbanded later that year, as well as another formation in 2018. Christopher "GeT RiGhT" Alesund, one of the original 2012 NIP roster, left after the StarLadder Major Berlin 2019, being replaced by Simon "twist" Eliasson, a former player for Fnatic, and leaving f0rest as the only remaining member of the original roster, until he left in 2020 to come back to the 2014 NIP roster on Dignitas. In July 2020, it was announced that NIP would be merging with Chinese esports organization Victory Five and enter the Chinese League of Legen

In Their Own Story

The air inside the arena was thick with tension as the final round on de_inferno began. The NiP captain called out the site B push, his voice calm amidst the chaos of gunfire echoing through the stadium speakers. 'Flank left, I take mid,' he signaled. In a blur of motion, the Swedish squad executed a synchronized breach that had been drilled thousands of times in practice. As the Terrorists scrambled to defend, the NiP riflemen dropped with surgical precision, their movements fluid and terrifyingly coordinated. It wasn't just a win; it was a statement of dominance that reminded the world why they were called Ninjas.

Reader's Guide

Ninjas in Pyjamas is a Swedish esports organization with a long history in Counter-Strike, founded in June 2000. They have expanded into many games including Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege, and League of Legends. Their early success included winning the 2001 CPL World Championship and strong performances in 2003. They have undergone roster changes and expansions, including a merger with Victory Five for LPL entry in 2023.

Did You Know?

• Ninjas in Pyjamas were formed in June 2000.
• Their biggest success was winning the 2001 Cyberathlete Professional League World Championships.
• The prize money from their tournament victories in 2003 totalled approximately US$170,000.
• They were the first team outside of Asia to enter the Asian market.
• On 6 May 2024, NIP was selected for the Esports World Cup Club Support Program.