NiP allow es3tag to explore new options

Patrick “es3tag” Hansen has been benched by Ninjas in Pyjamas as the organization plans to revamp its CS:GO lineup for the upcoming season. 

The CS: GO esports scene has entered the offseason with the culmination of the BLAST Premier World Finals and many teams have already announced major roster changes. Popular Danish esports organization Ninjas in Pyjamas has benched Patrick “es3tag” Hansen as they plan to rebuild its roster for the 2023 season.

The Danish player changed five different esports organizations in only two years before settling with NIP in 2021. The 28-year-old rifler has been given permission to explore other options by the organization, implying his journey as a member of the team has come to an end after 399 days. 

Only a few months prior, the organization parted ways with another Danish sniper, Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, who went on to join Astralis. Over the course of 2022, Ninjas in Pyjamas made several other roster changes as well. These changes included swapping AWPing duties between its players and adding a new rifler, Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin, and an in-game leader, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen. The team was supposed to be revitalized by the additional firepower and Aleksib’s leadership, but instead, the team struggled to produce strong performances.

Es3tag’s year-long stint with NiP come to an end

NiP failed to make much of an impact in the majority of CS:GO Events. The team finished last at the IEM Rio Major with a 0-3 record after dropping the Legends Stage matches to Fnatic, Outsiders, and Sprout. They did, however, scoop up a couple of smaller titles, including the Svenska Cupen and the Global Esports Tour Dubai. Their best finishes were in the top four at the ESL Pro League Season 15 and the BLAST Premier Fall Final.

While NiP may not have achieved much success during the most recent competition, es3tag continued to play consistently, achieving a 1.04 rating over 24 maps played over the previous three months. The 28-year-old rifler has amassed a total of 24521 kills with an average K/D of 1.03 across the 1371 maps he played throughout his career.

The Danish rifler may have reached the end of his tenure with NiP, but he still has the expertise and experience to be a top pick for any organization looking to strengthen its lineup before the new season begins. As the competitive CS:GO has entered the official off-season phase, es3tag may find a new home pretty soon.

Ninjas in Pyjamas CS:GO roster

• Aleksi “⁠Aleksib⁠” Virolainen
• Fredrik “⁠REZ⁠” Sterner
• Hampus “⁠hampus⁠” Poser
• Ludvig “⁠Brollan⁠” Brolin
• Daniel “⁠djL⁠” Narancic (coach)
• Patrick “⁠es3tag⁠” Hansen (benched)

Header: PGL/João Ferreira