Ninjas in Pyjamas have shaken the Counter-Strike world by announcing the unexpected signing of ex-Astralis superstar dev1ce. The Dane exits what is undoubtedly the greatest CS:GO roster of all time and enters a shaky NiP squad after a handful of poor results from Astralis in 2021.
This move was one no one could have really expected. Despite poor form, Astralis still sits second on the HLTV world rankings, while NiP are just outside the top 10. To add to this, dev1ce was certainly Astralis’ best player, as well as the most decorated player in CS:GO history. He has earned a record-breaking 18 MVP medals, four major titles, as well as ranking in the top five of HLTV’s top 20 players of the year for six years in a row.
It is important to note that, despite the difference between both teams’ rankings at the moment, NiP is a legendary team that once used to be the best in CS:GO. In fact, dev1ce compares his move to LeBron James’ transfer to the Lakers, and that isn’t quite far off.
Still, this is a transfer that will shake both teams as well as the Counter-Strike scene overall – it’s not something anyone saw coming, and it will have a massive impact on Astralis’ and NiP’s gameplay, as well as how other teams have to prepare to face them.
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Are NiP and Astralis Good Bets After Signing Dev1ce?
One of the biggest impacts of this move will be on wagering when either Astralis or Ninjas in Pyjamas are involved. The move comes as a massive loss to Astralis, who have just lost a superstar player and likely one that will be impossible to replace. Dev1ce was the team’s superstar and definitely one of the world’s best – at the moment, it doesn’t look like anyone will be able to fill his shoes.
This leaves an already shaky Astralis weakened even more, as not only will their firepower fall, but they’ll need to create all-new strategies based around whoever they find to replace their superstar.
Meanwhile, things are looking good for Ninjas in Pyjamas – they just signed one of the world’s best players! We will definitely see an increase in firepower from them and dev1ce will bring a much-needed sprinkle of excitement and unpredictability to their matches.
However, the team still has some gaps – namely a somewhat lacking map pool and unpolished tactics. Still, there’s likely to be an immediate small boost, and if NiP can fill those gaps, dev1ce could very well make them a contender at any event.
