In recent years, NiP has been more associated with decline than victories. However, this season could prove to be a turning point—the team not only stabilized its growth but also returned to the major international stage.
How It All Began
At the beginning of 2025, NiP's CS2 roster was given ambitious goals: to assemble a functional roster, secure a spot in the VRS rankings, qualify for the leading tournaments of the season, and return to the playoffs of top events. The team, equipped with players like Snappi , sjuush , R1nkle , ewjerkz , and xKacpersky , started practically from scratch in the VRS, beginning their grind with 0 points. This was risky given the competition, but the move paid off.
Key Achievements of the Season
Throughout the year, NiP successfully qualified for PGL Astana 2025, IEM Cologne, and StarLadder Fall 2025. In Astana, they reached the playoff stage, and at StarLadder Fall, they played in the tournament final, reigniting discussions about top teams. The team also secured their place at the upcoming major, which at the beginning of the year seemed like a distant prospect.
Despite this, two goals remain unmet. Firstly, NiP has not yet reached the top 12 in the VRS rankings, currently sitting at the 20th position. Secondly, the "full return" of the club to the elite of global CS2 is still in progress—a stable performance in tier-1 tournaments is necessary for this.
