REZ Interview: r1nkle can become a Top 3 level sniper

After several disappointing seasons, Ninjas in Pyjamas underwent another major roster overhaul. In a recent online interview with foreign media, NIP veteran REZ shared his thoughts on the new lineup and how players like Artem Moroz | R1nkle and isak Fahlén | isak have surprised him.

Q: How do you feel about the new lineup?

A: Overall, I am very happy. I think bringing in isak might be one of the most important decisions the club has made in a while. I believe his abilities are severely underestimated by the public. From a teammate's perspective, he brings a lot of things we hadn't realized before, and Max Jansson | maxster as well. isak makes our games very easy. He didn't join the team to be a star player or to make crazy plays. His main role is to support us and make our games easier, and his communication and playstyle have indeed helped with that. So, I think he complements the current NIP lineup very well, and I'm very happy to have him on board.

As for r1nkle, I think his current performance has exceeded everyone's expectations. When I first played with him, he completely surprised me. I believe he can become one of the top three snipers in the world. He has already shown the potential of a top-tier sniper. I have worked with some top snipers in the past, including Nicolai Reedtz | device , who is obviously one of the best snipers in the game. From what I know about r1nkle, he has the potential to reach that level as well. I think he is very close to success; he just needs more experience.

Q: What surprised you the most about him?

A: He does everything very well, and perhaps the most crucial thing is his aiming ability. His positioning on the map, reaction speed, and initiative in the game, such as responding to commands and in-game situations, are all excellent.

He is quick-witted, aims fast, and is very skilled. When you watch him play, he looks like he can flick shots like m0NESY or s1mple ; he has that kind of skill. When we recruited him, he obviously didn't have much experience. So, when I played with him at the offline event in Abu Dhabi, I was very surprised. His communication with teammates is very positive, and he already has a good understanding of the game. When you play with him, you feel like he has been around for a long time because he makes a lot of excellent decisions, and his game reading is very impressive. I think that's what surprised me the most. I am very much looking forward to his further development. I feel he is close to his peak, and I am full of expectations for his future.

Q: What does it mean for you to have players like r1nkle and isak on the team?

A: My career has obviously been very turbulent. With everything happening around me, it has been hard to perform well. There have been times when I was completely out of sync with my position and playstyle. The team's style rarely matched my own, which is also a major reason for my inconsistent performance in the past because most of the time I was not comfortable. But now, I feel this lineup suits me very well.

Now I can play according to my own ideas. When playing with r1nkle, there are a few points that we are responsible for together. I feel that I can easily understand his intentions, and he makes my game easier, reminding me of the time working with device. When playing with him, I always feel that I perform very well. Now, working with r1nkle, I have the same feeling. Our ideas are very consistent, and even before we enter the next round, I can understand how he wants to play. Without doubts or uncertainties, the game becomes easy for me. This improves my performance. I am more confident in my aiming and game decisions, and my operations are more proficient. Everything complements each other.

Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge for this lineup?

A: We haven't really faced top teams on the big stage yet, and I think that will be the biggest challenge. How will we respond? How will we perform in such an environment? Because we are still a new team with some young players who haven't really participated in those top events. I think this is the direction the team needs to work on: participating in as many offline events as possible, playing on stage as much as possible. You can't gain much match experience from these online tournaments or small offline events in Argentina or Abu Dhabi. This is not what we truly want; we want to compete on the big stage. After we have played such matches, I think competing against top teams will be easier.

NIP's next major event will be the BLAST Fall Groups, where their first match will be against G2.