NiP want to sign headtr1ck

Based on what Ninjas in Pyjamas wanted to do a year and a half ago after they signed Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, it’s clear that the team did not accomplish its objectives. They struggled in 2021 and they struggled in 2022 as well. But 2023 might be a better year for them.

However, improvements usually happen after you make a significant change. It could be the way you train or the way you approach the game. But that requires a new coach. Another option would be to change a few players.

NiP’s roster

NiP’s current roster is made up of just four players. Patrick “es3tag” Hansen left several days ago and will soon be replaced by someone else. Based on the rumors, NiP will sign a young AWPer from NAVI Junior. The player is currently inactive and his name is Danyyl “headtr1ck” Valitov. He is only 18 years old.

It will be interesting to see what NiP can do in the first part of 2023 with their new and supposedly improved roster. No doubt, headtr1ck has great potential and we’ve already seen Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov transforming into a beast, just one year after he joined G2 Esports.

But what we need to remember is this: even m0NESY, despite his formidable talent, needed an entire year to reach his top form. And his team is arguably much stronger than NiP.

Whenever a team brings in a very young player, there’s a high chance that he’s still underdeveloped and unprepared to face the world’s best competitors. He will make a lot of mistakes and the team’s results will suffer because of that. At least in the short term.

In the long term, the addition of headtr1ck will likely prove to be a good move. But the question is: will NiP have G2’s patience? Will they allow their new roster to fully mature before making any other roster moves?

The team will likely need at least six months to achieve fluency and develop a playstyle that can succeed against the likes of FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, Team Vitality, and G2 Esports.

NiP’s results in 2022

In 2022, NiP had unsatisfying results at most of the S-tier tournaments. They finished 17th-20th at ESL Pro League Season 16, seventh-eight at IEM Cologne, 9th-12th at IEM Dallas, fifth-eight at PGL Major Antwerp, third-fourth at ESL Pro League Season 15, seventh-eight at IEM Katowice, and 15th-16th at IEM Rio Major.

The only significant tournament won by NiP in 2022 was Global Esports Tour Dubai. This was an A-tier event and showed that the team has great qualities. But they still need to change something if they want to excel in 2023.

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