Snappi's NIP end hunt for first LAN with PGL Astana qualification

The new-look Ninjas beat four of the organization's ex-players to seal a spot at the $1,250,000 event.

Ninjas in Pyjamas have qualified for PGL Astana after emerging victorious from the grueling 32-team Europe qualifier.

The Marco "⁠Snappi⁠" Pfeiffer-led side beat Metizport 3-2 in the grand final to earn the organization its first LAN berth of 2025, finally offering NIP's players some light at the end of the tunnel after a beleaguered three months.

It has been a rough year so far for the organization after it overhauled its roster in January, resulting in a reset of its VRS rank.

The team tried to use Audric "⁠JACKZ⁠" Jug as a stand-in to score wildcard invites and get their foot back in the door, but failed to advance out of five CCT closed qualifiers and had to return to using their regular roster after JACKZ's wildcard eligibility window expired.

The new lineup finally received a Valve rank on February 15 after playing 10 matches, but were still nowhere near the threshold to even get invites to online cups or qualifiers at #173.

NIP's search for VRS points led to them registering for smaller regional LANs, including Level Up LUND! and Fragadelphia Vegas, for later in April.

In the interim, Ninjas in Pyjamas' only option to raise their rank has been to grind through notoriously difficult online open qualifiers, but three months in those efforts have finally paid off.

As if to evidence just how grueling and difficult that grind can be, Ninjas in Pyjamas' run to Astana was almost over before it even began. They lost a map to Hesta in the fourth and final open qualifier and were down 4-12 on the second, but recovered in overtime and on the decider to advance.

A loss to fnatic in the Group D upper bracket final meant Ninjas in Pyjamas also took a longer route through the closed qualifier, but they got revenge over Benjamin "⁠blameF⁠" Bremer's side to reach playoffs before beating back B8 to reach the final.

Date	Matches
PGL Astana 2025 Europe Closed Qualifier
27/03/2025	Passion UAFinished0:2 Ninjas in Pyjamas	Match
28/03/2025	Ninjas in PyjamasFinished2:0 JANO	Match
29/03/2025	Ninjas in PyjamasFinished0:2 fnatic	Match
30/03/2025	Ninjas in PyjamasFinished2:0 AMKAL	Match
30/03/2025	fnaticFinished0:2 Ninjas in Pyjamas	Match
31/03/2025	B8Finished0:2 Ninjas in Pyjamas	Match

Ninjas in Pyjamas put up a blistering offense on Anubis to start the series, winning every opening duel after an early force-buy war for a 9-3 lead.

It took them all 24 rounds to close the map despite winning the second pistol, and the 1-0 lead was quickly soured after Isak "⁠isak⁠" Fahlén put on a clinic with his career-best map, posting a 22-7 K-D, 133.1 ADR, 5:0 opening kill record, and 2.31-rating to win Nuke 13-4 for Metizport.

Ninjas in Pyjamas then went down 4-8 on Dust2 before an excellent T side from Rasmus "⁠sjuush⁠" Beck and Michel "⁠ewjerkz⁠" Pinto allowed them to force overtime and run away the victors.

Ancient started even worse as Ninjas in Pyjamas went down 0-9 to a dominant CT side from Metizport, but this time Hampus "⁠hampus⁠" Poser' side closed out the map only to run out of steam on the Inferno decider with NIP going from 1-5 down to a 13-8 victory.

PGL Astana 2025 Europe Closed QualifierBest of 5 Ninjas in PyjamasMatchpage 3 2 1st April 2025 Metizport 13Anubis 11 4Nuke 13 16Dust2 12 9Ancient 13 13Inferno 8

Ninjas in Pyjamas	K - D	+/-	ADR	Rating 2.1
Rasmus 'sjuush' Becksjuush	81 - 69	+12	77.9	1.11
Michel 'ewjerkz' Pintoewjerkz	69 - 69	0	72.3	1.03
Artem 'r1nkle' Morozr1nkle	66 - 75	-9	68.4	0.94
Rafael 'arrozdoce' Wingarrozdoce	64 - 75	-11	63.2	0.94
Marco 'Snappi' PfeifferSnappi	55 - 75	-20	64.4	0.84

Metizport	K - D	+/-	ADR	Rating 2.1
Adam 'adamb' Ångströmadamb	83 - 61	+22	83.5	1.19
Nicolas 'Plopski' Gonzalez ZamoraPlopski	74 - 68	+6	75.0	1.03
Hampus 'hampus' Poserhampus	70 - 71	-1	74.0	1.01
Isak 'isak' Fahlénisak	71 - 71	0	66.1	0.97
Lucas 'L00m1' HauklandL00m1	63 - 65	-2	58.5	0.93

Michel 'ewjerkz' Pinto Age: 24 Team: Ninjas in Pyjamas Rating 1.0: 1.03 Maps played: 745 KPR: 0.71 DPR: 0.69 Ninjas in Pyjamas #54 Marco 'Snappi' PfeifferRasmus 'sjuush' BeckArtem 'r1nkle' MorozMichel 'ewjerkz' PintoRafael 'arrozdoce' Wing Richard 'Xizt' Landström Isak 'isak' Fahlén Age: 23 Team: Metizport Rating 1.0: 0.96 Maps played: 1030 KPR: 0.64 DPR: 0.66 Rasmus 'sjuush' Beck Age: 26 Team: Ninjas in Pyjamas Rating 1.0: 1.02 Maps played: 1338 KPR: 0.68 DPR: 0.65 Hesta #84 Andrey 'abiraju' SerginDmitriy 'anttzz' KirillinValeriy 'Muk0s' MukovninKim 'frontales' ArgunovVyacheslav 'slaxejezzz' Vinokurov Metizport #43 Hampus 'hampus' PoserNicolas 'Plopski' Gonzalez ZamoraIsak 'isak' FahlénAdam 'adamb' ÅngströmLucas 'L00m1' Haukland Ahmed 'abdi' Abdi Hampus 'hampus' Poser Age: 26 Team: Metizport Rating 1.0: 1.01 Maps played: 1830 KPR: 0.70 DPR: 0.69 fnatic #38 Freddy 'KRIMZ' JohanssonBenjamin 'blameF' BremerRodion 'fear' SmykMatúš 'MATYS' ŠimkoDmytro 'jambo' Semera Peter 'casle' Ardenskjold B8 #30 Daniil 'headtr1ck' ValitovAlexey 'alex666' YarmoshchukAndrii 'npl' KukharskyiArtem 'kensizor' KapranDmytro 'esenthial' Tsvir Ivan 'maddened' Iordanidi Marco 'Snappi' Pfeiffer Age: 34 Team: Ninjas in Pyjamas Rating 1.0: 0.94 Maps played: 2027 KPR: 0.64 DPR: 0.68 Audric 'JACKZ' Jug Age: 32 Team: GenOne Rating 1.0: 0.98 Maps played: 1494 KPR: 0.66 DPR: 0.67 Benjamin 'blameF' Bremer Age: 27 Team: fnatic Rating 1.0: 1.16 Maps played: 1374 KPR: 0.77 DPR: 0.60