Ninjas in Pyjamas Counter-Strike Technical Director THREAT has parted ways with the organization, hinting that he wants to get back into coaching business because he missed “working closely with a team and having a more direct impact”. How things will continue for him is not entirely clear.
After a year in the role of Counter-Strike Technical Director, 34-year-old Björn “THREAT” Pers announced on Twitter that he will no longer be working for the Ninjas in Pajamas organization. The Swede joined Ninjas in Pyjamas six years ago as Head Coach, having switched from coaching at Acer the year before. During his time with the organization, THREAT was responsible for the team twice, once from 2016 to 2018 and the other time from 2020 to 2021.
He then transitioned to his most recent role, which focused on the tactical side of the game and supporting the team from off-server, making way for the current Ninjas in Pajamas coach, 28-year-old Swede Daniel “djL” Narancic.
Restart for THREAT without NiP
The past year has been a tumultuous one for the Ninjas in Pajamas as they have gone through various changes and have struggled to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the world. Despite their instability, the team made it to multiple big tournaments throughout the year, including a 3rd-4th place finish as a result of their most recent appearance at BLAST Premier Fall Final 2022.
THREAT’s departure isn’t the first change Ninjas in Pajamas have seen ahead of the start of 2023. Recent reports have linked the Swedish organization to signing AWPer Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov, a former member of NAVI Junior, to replace the currently benched es3tag.
It’s both exciting and sombering that I can now announce that @NIP and I have decided to go our separate ways. Trying out a new role this past year has been a learnful experience but I sincerely miss working closely with a team, having a more direct impact.
— Björn Pers (@THREAT_CS) December 30, 2022
What’s next for THREAT now?
The future is uncertain for THREAT, but in his statement on Twitter, he hinted that he would like to work closely with a team again, so we might see him joining another team as a coach in the future.
In his statement, THREAT also thanked NIP, clarifying that there were no issues between him and the organization:
“Big shoutout to all the staff at NIP who’ve been nothing but great to me, everyone involved with YoungNinjas and Impact, and of course the main team, I will miss all of you! With this said I am super excited for upcoming new opportunities in 2023!”
Ninjas in Pajamas now has the following players in its lineup:
- Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen
- Hampus “hampus” Poser
- Fredrik “REZ” Sterner
- Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin
- Patrick “es3tag” Hansen (on the bench)
- Daniel “djL” Narancic (Coach)
Header: Ninjas in Pyjamas