Ninjas in Pyjamas benches arrozdoce, signs xKacpersky on loan

Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) has benched Rafael ‘arrozdoce’ Wing Ribeiro after six months on the starting line-up.

Taking the place of the Portuguese rifler is Kacper ‘xKacpersky’ Gabara, who joins the Swedish esports organisation on loan from ENCE.

Arrozdoce joined NiP in January following a successful tenure on SAW before acting as a stand-in for Audric ‘JACKZ’ Jug to secure wildcard spots for several events.

Despite early success, the team failed to qualify for online Champion of Champions Tour (CCT) events before an uptick in form secured qualification for PGL Astana, where NIP made it to the Playoffs.

As a result of a strong run of form and a victory at Fragadelphia Las Vegas, NiP skyrocketed up the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), earning a place within the top 25.

“We are announcing that arrozdoce is no longer a part of our active CS roster,” announced NiP on social media.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision, and we are truly grateful to Rafael for his contributions to the success of this roster so far. We wish him success wherever he goes next.”

xKacpersky joins Ninjas in Pyjamas as one of Europe’s hottest properties. Before joining the Swedish organisation’s main roster, the Polish rifler spent six months of 2024 competing on the Young Ninjas lineup before joining ENCE in October.

This year, NIP has rarely featured in the top tier of Counter-Strike competitions. The team scored a top-eight placement at PGL Astana, with its best result coming with victory at Fragadelphia Las Vegas in April.

The new-look NIP line-up will make its tournament debut at IEM Cologne, marking the organisation’s second appearance in a Tier 1 event this year. Currently ranked 23rd in the July VRS, the team will be looking to earn VRS points to secure a place in the top 32.

2025 marks 25 years since NIP was founded, making it one of the longest-standing esports organisations in the world. It holds the record for the longest LAN winning streak, achieving victory in 60 matches from August 2012 to April 2013.