Ninjas in Pyjamas bench twist
Published: Feb 2, 2021 - Last Updated: Jul 18, 2023
Swedish organization Ninjas in Pyjamas has announced Simon “twist” Eliasson has been benched from its CS:GO lineup and put on the transfer list. Twist has been a mainstay in NiP’s roster since 2019 after the team acquired him from bitter rivals Fnatic as a replacement for Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund.
Twist has been a versatile addition to the Ninjas, functioning both as a support rifler and a capable AWPer. But the Swede hit a massive slump in the last six months, boasting a fairly poor 0.94 rating in his last six tournaments.
“Moving twist from our active roster wasn’t easy, but ultimately something had to happen. We’ve been unable to release the massive potential and energy in our team, and over time, energy like that ends up becoming a negative spiral which is incredibly hard to break, without changing up the group dynamic. New, positive and fresh energy is needed, and thus we ended up at changes in both roster and backroom staff. I want to thank Simon for his incredible work ethic and everything he has done for this team, and I am sure he’ll find a new home very soon.”, stated NiP Chief Operating Officer, Jonas Gundersen.
Twist was a big factor during NiP’s climb back to the top of the CS:GO competitive scene, but ultimately left a lot to be desired when pitted against elite competition.
NiP already has a replacement lined up for the Swede in the form of academy player Erik “ztr” Gustafsson. Zrt is one of Sweden’s brightest up-and-coming CS:GO prospects, and was the first player revealed on the Young Ninja’s roster. He has emerged as a capable in-game leader, but it remains to be seen how he stacks up against the world’s best, seeing as he will have his trial by fire against Astralis.
“Despite his short time as a Ninja, Erik has already shown formidable work ethic and potential. The whole idea behind this project was for it to be a pathway into the first team and although it might have come a bit earlier than anticipated, we’re excited to try it out.”, Jonas Gundersen further added.
Apart from the roster update, the organization also revealed that Young Ninja’s Head Coach Fredrik “JAEGARN” Andersson has been promoted as the main team’s Assistant Coach. Finally, NiP revealed that former Australian Olympic rower David McGowan has joined the team as a full-time Performance Manager.
The new lineup will be making its debut at BLAST Premier Spring Groups against Astralis, and although refreshed and rejuvenated, the CSGO odds are looking stacked against them.
