Just a few days ago, Peter “ppd” Dager retired from Dota 2. Two days later the remaining three members were scrapped with Ninjas in Pyjamas signing Chicken Fighters.
Modern problems require modern solutions
Over the course of the last month, Ninjas in Pyjamas completely changed their Dota 2 roster. It all started back on April 7 when Saahil “Universe” Arora was removed due to the coronavirus situation and the team seeking a more long-term focused regional squad. Fast forward two more weeks to April 20 and Peter “ppd” Dager decided to retire. Both players were well-known names. in the Dota 2 pro scene with plenty of experience behind their backs.
NiP lost two of their aces in the span of two weeks, so many expected their next move to be filling the missing slots. The remaining three players were:
- Nikita "Daxak" Kuzmin
- Jason Connor "TANNER" Weedon
- Rodrigo "Lelis" Santos
In a surprising turn of events, the Ninjas released the three players and signed the already existing squad of Chicken fighters.
Dota 2 Roster Update - A New Chapterhttps://t.co/MZkg93DwlM#GONINJAS #DOTA2 @betwaydota2 pic.twitter.com/QITW7FeDGP
— Ninjas in Pyjamas (@NIPGaming) April 22, 2020
The Fighters had seen quite a lot of success in Tier 2 Dota 2 tournaments but most recently, they managed to get fourth at the ESL One Los Angeles Online EU/CIS. They placed higher than some of the most recognized teams like Team Secret, Alliance, Nigma, Team Liquid, Natus Vincere and Gambit Esports.
A pre-packaged solution
Ninjas in Pyjamas chief operating officer Jonas Gundersen commented:
"It’s been an ongoing process finding the right way to structure the new team, evaluating and optimising our own internal setup in the process. Sometimes when you get a clear overview, opportunities present themselves at perfect times. The whole roster of Chicken Fighters are a great group of young players, with a perfect combination of hunger, talent, experience and a high willingness to learn. I couldn’t be more excited that they want to become part of the Ninjas in Pyjamas team, where I am sure we’ll be able to accomplish great things together."
In the meantime Daxak, TANNER, and Lelis are back to being free agents, looking for a new team to join. Whether the ex-Chicken fighters got lucky at the recent ESL event or truly have what it takes to go against the best will become clear soon. The Dota 2 Pushka League kicks off today and NiP will play have their first series against OG.Seed. The latter made it to the event through an open qualifier in the EU, while VP.Prodigy did the same in the CIS.
As usual, stay tuned for more Dota 2 news.
