NIP Overhaul Their AWP Role with stavn Replacing r1nkle

NIP are changing things after a rough run of close losses. r1nkle is out, stavn is in, and the team is making a fresh move on the AWP to get back on track. Check out what led to the switch and what it could mean for NIP’s next chapter.

Why NIP Moved On From r1nkle After Cologne Setback

Ninjas in Pyjamas benched r1nkle on April 15 after missing out on the IEM Cologne Major. The decision came after a string of close losses where the team looked competitive, but could not close key maps. r1nkle’s individual level was not the main problem either. He held a 1.08 rating in 2026, though that dropped to 1.02 against top 50 teams. In the end, this looked more like a role change than a move based only on stats.

The Results That Pushed NIP to Make a Change

The last few events made the situation hard to ignore. NIP had enough firepower to stay in matches, but when the pressure hit, the team kept slipping.

r1nkle’s Numbers Were Not the Real Issue

r1nkle still showed up in these matches. Against PARIVISION, he posted 52-38 with a 1.13 rating. Against GamerLegion, he was NIP’s best player with 58-44 and a 1.29 rating. Even in the final loss to HEROIC, he stayed positive at 37-34 with a 1.06 rating.

That is why this move feels bigger than one player getting cut after a bad event. NIP were not getting blown out. They were losing the rounds and maps that decide everything, and the team clearly felt the AWP role needed a reset.

stavn Returns to Competition in a New Role as NIP’s Main AWPer

Stavn gives NIP a very different kind of AWP move. At 24, he is coming back after eight months away from competition, and he is stepping into the main sniper role instead of his more familiar rifle-heavy job. That makes this signing stand out right away.

His break from play was serious and personal. After leaving Astralis in January, stavn shared that therapy helped him feel more stable and ready to compete again after dealing with the loss of his brother. For a lot of fans, that already makes this comeback feel bigger than a normal roster change.

Key positives for NIP:

• stavn is not an unproven pickup, he has already spent years at the top level
• he was ranked among the world’s best players for four straight years
• his peak came in 2023, when he was one of HEROIC’s key stars in deep runs at major events
• he already knows sjuush and Xizt from earlier parts of his career
• he also has older connections with Snappi, which could help the team settle faster

His time in Astralis did not fully click, even with a 1.06 rating across 285 maps. Still, NIP are not taking a gamble on a raw player or a long-term experiment. They are bringing in a proven name and asking him to pick up the big green in a new setup.

How This Move Could Change NIP

On paper, this switch gives NIP something they badly lacked during the Cologne chase: shared habits. Snappi and Xizt both pointed to late-round errors, overpeeks, and missed chances in close games. stavn will not fix that on his own, but his deeper top-level résumé and familiarity with key teammates should help steady mid-round calls and make the AWP role less volatile. If that happens, xKacpersky and cairne can spend more time leaning into their own fights instead of patching holes. Missing Cologne still hurts, but this is a clear attempt to stop the same story from repeating in every 13-11 finish.