NIP now have a golden opportunity to return to greatness
Way back in 2012, when CS:GO was released, there was no team greater than NIP.
The Swedish organisation was a powerhouse like no other, and their team was able to go on a now-unfathomable 87-0 LAN map winning streak.
This form would continue for two years as they appeared in all five of the first five CS:GO Major finals.
Photo: Michal KonkolHowever, their powers would wane, and as names like friberg, GeT_RiGhT, and f0rest all fell behind their younger rivals, NIP would see themselves slip down the world rankings.
Signing of device
Eventually, NIP would make one of the greatest attempts to get back to the top as they sensationally signed device from Astralis, but that move failed to work out as intended.
They would spend the next few years in roster turmoil, constantly experiencing a need to field stand-ins and undergoing leadership changes that unbalanced the team. When THREAT returned to the organisation, he promised to stop this.
A new team was built in response to THREAT's promises. es3tag returned to the active lineup, and Spanish IGL alex arrived from KOI (formerly Movistar Riders), and while early results showed promise, their subsequent form has seen them fail to qualify for BLAST Premier Spring Final 2024, and then they faced RMR elimination with a 0-3 record.
Ambitious goals
With NIP's Director of Esports Erik Wendel saying that the organisation "need to be on the very top" by January 2025, something had to change, and they have since benched headtr1ck, es3tag, and k0nfig, as well as their coach, djL.
So, with them now having the chance to do the most focused rebuild they have been able to do in years, where do they go from here?
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenThe issues of the past
"Usually, inconsistency is a symptom of some underlying issue, maybe people aren’t comfortable with the style of Counter-Strike being played. Maybe someone isn’t playing the role they want, maybe there is some social issue in the team." - Anders to BLAST.tv.
Even before the previous rebuild that saw alex and es3tag join the team, role imbalances plagued the NIP lineup.
Filled with players most comfortable in aggressive roles, they were forced to adapt to roles they weren't entirely suited for, and this was something that THREAT set out to fix.
Brollan was benched, but to hold on to their RMR spot, both k0nfig and REZ would have to remain.
Photo: Michal KonkolThe arrivals of es3tag and alex couldn't hope to fix that, and although REZ managed to find somewhat consistent form, k0nfig remained with a 1.05 HLTV rating on CS2 compared to REZ's 1.13.
The same issues could also be found with headtr1ck, the young Ukrainian struggled for consistency in CS2, and his HLTV rating on the new game fell from 1.08 in 2023 to 1.01 in 2024.
NIP's attempt to rebuild themselves in a tactically more consistent style was admirable, but unfortunately, it didn't pan out.
No longer needing to hold on to a core to keep themselves in an RMR, however, they have a golden opportunity to truly rebuild themselves - so how do they go about it?
Photo: Michal KonkolGetting back to the very top
NIP seem to have many opportunities.
Recent results and roster changes have seen a host of top players become available, so they could go down the experience route if they so desire.
jks, mantuu, and sdy are all available, and all three could do a job for the organisation if called upon.
They also have the experience to keep REZ consistent, something that Anders says will be instrumental to the success of any future NIP lineup.
"[NIP can be a] good team if REZ can consistently show up." - Anders
Photo: Michal KonkolAlternatively, NIP could also turn to younger talent that could push them forward into the new era - as well as capture the hearts of some of their long-time fans.
If they want to go back to their roots, there is also plenty of talent coming through in Sweden that they could look towards to transform into tier-one stars.
Both nilo and avid are shining for their respective teams Metizport and Alliance, and both are sure to get their chance at the top very soon.
If they do go down that route, alex will be integral to ensuring that the new roster succeeds. Anders tells BLAST.tv that "A great IGL can do a lot", and although fans might be doubting alex right now, they are foolish to do so.
As part of Movistar Riders, alex led the team to their first Major, a win at ESL Challenger Valencia 2022, and the semi-finals of IEM Cologne 2022. This is a massive deal for an Iberian team, and it's only a matter of time before he proves himself in an international lineup.
Photo: Michal KonkolThe golden ticket
The point of all of this is that NIP has been given a golden ticket that is rarely afforded to tier-one teams.
Typically burdened by needing to hold onto RMR spots for the financial reward of making the Major, NIP no longer have to worry about that - and because of that, they can do something special.
Making it to the top is going to be a hard task for any team in an era that includes Vitality, Spirit, and FaZe, but NIP already have a history that proves they know how to get there.
They have the foundations in REZ and alex, now it's time to build on that and return themselves to where they belong on the Counter-Strike mountain.