Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) has moved Michel ‘Ewjerkz‘ Pinto from its Counter-Strike 2 starting roster to the bench.
The move follows the Swedish esports organisation competing at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, where it failed to advance from Stage 2 of the season-ending tournament.
Announced on December 11th, 2025, the move brings an end to Ewjerkz’s 11-month stint on the starting line-up. The player joined from SAW in early January alongside Rafael ‘arrozdoce‘ Wing for the 2025 season.
The roster struggled to find consistency throughout the year, failing to qualify for several Tier 1 events. In the end, Ninjas in Pyjamas made five Tier 1 appearances, including a top-eight finish at PGL Astana 2025 and a top-12 placement at IEM Cologne 2025.
“This was not an easy call, and we want to thank Michel for the effort and professionalism he has shown throughout his time with us. We appreciate everything he has done,” said the organisation on social media.
Ninjas in Pyjamas is one of the first organisations to make changes to its Counter-Strike roster in preparation for the 2026 season. Brazilian organisation paiN Gaming has also started rebuilding its team, benching David ‘dav1deuS’ Tapia and Franco ‘dgt’ Garcia after exiting the Major in Stage 3.
What Next For Ninjas in Pyjamas?
Currently ranked 29th in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), Ninjas in Pyjamas begins the process of finding a new player to replace Ewjerkz, who is seeking a new organisation to represent.
The organisation is yet to reveal whether Kacper ‘xKacpersky‘ Gabara will remain with the roster, after joining on loan from ENCE in July.
After scoring a second-place finish at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025, the Ninjas have shown glimmers of potential against some of Counter-Strike’s established names. With new talent in the starting line-up, it will be interesting to see if the organisation can build on what’s been an incosistant season.
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