The Ninjas in Pyjamas’ VALORANT roster has received yet another modification to find its footing early on in its eSports franchise. The organization signed former Counter-Strike pro player Saif “Sayf” Jibreel while benching its two players Damien “Hyp” Souville and Enzo “Fearoth” Mestari.
Sayf was recently playing for Bonk, who defeated NiP at the Ignition Series’ LVL Clash Two tournament last month, where they bow down to G2 Esports in the finals. The said pro player has been competing in VALORANT since July.
In the official blogpost, NiP’s Chief Operating Officer Jonas Gundersen states that the management has to evaluate their roster and fall behind at their current position. Gundersen adds, “Sometimes a group of five just doesn’t come together to bring out the best of each other, and even though time played together can be a factor, we decided to continue in a different direction without HyP and Fearoth.”
The COO also announced they are adding a new head coach, Emil “eMIL” Sandgren. EMIL was a flex tank for several Overwatch Contenders teams, such as Mosaic Esports, Angry Titans, and Gladiators Legion. He also praised Sayf’s addition to the group noting that he is “one of the most versatile players” and a “future star.” Sandgren also states, “I think these changes were necessary, and I will continue to work hard to make us a top tier contender!”
Before getting replaced, Hyp and Fearoth competed in early VALORANT tournaments alongside Charles “CREA” Beauvois. NiP was expected to build their roster around the trio as the competition matures, though things panned out differently.
The two benched players expressed their disappointment with how the organization handled the circumstances. In a Twitlonger statement, Fearoth acknowledged that the team has been performing poorly lately, but there was no dialogue between them and the coaching staff. He also narrates that he was continually receiving praise on his gameplay and the value he brings to the team. “Overnight, you are dismissed because a choice had to be made. I’m just disappointed that there was no dialogue,” the former CS player elaborates.
HyP left the Overwatch League to venture on this new eSports title. He was playing for the Paris Eternal as a Support alongside SoOn and FDGoD. He expressed his dismay with the team’s management and added that he would release more details in the following days in an interview. Fans at Twitter are quick to note that HyP has been playing superbly recently and the roster move is something no one has ever predicted.