NIP have signed alex. No, not the British in-game leader who took Vitality to wins at ECS Season 7 Finals and EPICENTER 2019 within their first year of CS:GO competition; alex, the Spanish IGL who has recorded some impressive results with Movistar Riders in the last two years.
Ialex has never been a part of an international team, let alone been tasked with leading one. That isn't an adjustment that is easy to make.
But that's why we're here to tell you that alex is the perfect man to lead NIP into a new era.
When THREAT re-joined NIP earlier this year, he highlighted a "lack of leadership" as one of the key issues for the Swedish organisation. As a result, it didn't take long for hampus to return to the bench, and the hunt for a new IGL was initiated.
Good IGLs are hard to come by in Counter-Strike, or at the very least, hard to identify; often, the most criticised due to performances perceived to be underwhelming.
On the flip side, the praise reserved for exceeding expectations is typically attributed to the stars that shone the brightest on the road to success.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with praising stars. In the case of alex and Movistar Riders, the majority of their successes came while SunPayus was part of the team, and given what the Spaniard has gone on to do since joining ENCE, it's inarguable that he isn't one of the best AWPers on Earth. In SunPayus' case, praise was justified.
That being said, Movistar Riders weren't limited to success only when SunPayus was a part of their squad.
Since SunPayus has moved on, Riders have continued their trend of threatening the top thirty and above. Earlier this year, they won ESL Challenger Melbourne, and their more recent 5th-8th finish at ESL Pro League Season 18 was a testament to alex's ability to challenge other leaders at an even higher level and, perhaps more importantly, with a changed core from the last run of Movistar Riders success.
So what about that previous core?
First, the team participated in the PGL Stockholm Major, the first Major for an Iberian team ever. Then there was the win at ESL Challenger Valencia, an unprecedented victory on home soil. Finally, Movistar Riders reached the top four of IEM Cologne, even taking down Team Liquid in the iconic LANXESS Arena.
A host of achievements that continued to surprise people each time, those achievements only serve as evidence to alex's ability to compete with IGLs previously thought to be above his pay grade.
Now he is the leader of NIP, alex has the difficult task of taking the legendary organisation back to the very top of the Counter-Strike scene. A task that proved difficult for hampus, alex will already have an easier task thanks to qualities he possesses.
As a very aggressive player, hampus backed himself to be a star in the team, but his performances showed that idea was a too difficult ambition.
hampus' aggression was also part of a second problem THREAT highlighted in the former NIP squad: role balance.
A team formed from typically aggressive players, NIP lacked supportive elements.
REZ has also had to become a far more passive player to make up for other imbalances, not that it hasn't benefited him.
With the reinstating of es3tag to the roster and the arrival of alex, NIP now have a much more balanced team. Add in the star potential of young AWPer headtr1ck, and NIP have a chance to become a consistent force at tier-one events.
It's not going to be an easy road for NIP to get back to the top, but alex has overseen two drastic climbs already with fewer tools at his disposal.
He may not be a flashy signing, but with all things considered, he's a stellar one, and he will be the reason why NIP can turn a corner after years of mediocrity.
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