Spectacularly, Ninjas In Pyjamas have become the first team to qualify from the BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2023 after defeating Vitality in a comfortable 2:0 victory.

As a result of NIP finishing top of Group A, the team has secured their place in November’s BLAST Premier Fall Finals 2023 at Copenhagen’s Royal Arena.

Easy work for k0nfig. Credit: Michał Konkol | © BLAST

A Whole New headtr1ck

The main difference that was immediately evident was headtr1ck’s emergence. As the latest young AWPer to emerge from NAVI’s talent pipeline, much has been expected of the 19-year-old Ukrainian. Until now though, he has struggled with the demands of Tier-1 CS:GO, and there was concern about whether he was up to standard. He’s answered those questions here at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2023.

We’re looking at a whole new headtr1ck right now. NIP let him off his leash, and he’s repaying that faith immediately. He’s precise, fast, and aggressive, with echoes of a young dev1ce in his playstyle. If headtr1ck can maintain this form, expect to see results for the Ninjas In Pyjamas improve dramatically in future.

Out With The Old, In With The Old

NIP made just a single move in the summer CS:GO roster changes, selling IGL Aleksib to NAVI, replacing him with their previously benched IGL hampus. Early reactions saw it as a sideways step, but it seems he may be the man to get the best out of these pieces.

The new NIP. Credit: NIPCS on Twitter

What’s most impressive is how hampus has gotten the best from Brollan so far. Brollan was once seen as the brightest young talent in Sweden. He’s yet to live up to that mantle. At the BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2023, we’ve seen a huge resurgence in Brollan’s form, taking bomb sites with ease. It might not all be down to hampus, but he certainly looks a different player post-Summer break.

Remember – this was CS:GO Major winners Vitality they beat to qualify. After losing the opening game to a new-look Complexity, to battle back against EG, Complexity, and Vitality respectively in the Lower Bracket was a test of NIP’s mental resilience. They passed with flying colors. Vitality themselves are getting used to the addition of flameZ instead of dupreeh. On paper, you’d still have them as winners.

We’ll see if this was a flash-in-the-pan moment for NIP. However, they couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season.