JACKZ leaves NIP, team loses chance at invites

Ninjas in Pyjamas will continue to play without Audric "⁠JACKZ⁠" Jug.

The French player will no longer be a temporary substitute for the roster, as the team lost the right to receive invites through the wildcard system.

Why NIP Lost Wildcard Invite Access

NIP's ability to receive tournament invites relied on a special roster status, which included Marco "Snappi" Pfeiffer, Rasmus "sjuush" Beck, and JACKZ—all of whom ranked within the top 8 of the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) over the past 12 months. However, a rule change reduced the ranking period to just six months, causing NIP to lose their wildcard status on February 25.

Originally, the team planned to leverage Snappi’s ranking—as he last placed in the top 8 on March 3, 2024—which, under the previous system, would have kept NIP eligible for invites for several more months. However, the updated rules eliminated this opportunity, forcing the team to compete through qualifiers instead.

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JACKZ’s Brief Stint with NIP

During his time with the team, JACKZ participated in five closed CCT qualifiers, stepping in for Rafael "arrozdoce" Wing, but NIP failed to advance in any of the events. Reflecting on his short tenure, JACKZ shared a brief statement expressing gratitude for the opportunity.

My little adventure with NiP comes to an end here. I’m disappointed not to have achieved a better result with the guys, but we gave it our all! The reality is that with zero practice together, it’s hard to truly adapt to a system and be in sync in all phases of the game.

JACKZ leaves NIP, team loses chance at invites 1

NIP's Future Challenges

Currently, NIP sits at 158th place in the Valve Global Standings, meaning they must now battle through tough online qualifiers to improve their ranking. Without wildcard invites, their path to major tournaments has become significantly more difficult.