niko enters free agency

The Danish rifler is free after seven months on OG's bench.

Nikolaj "⁠niko⁠" Kristensen is no longer tied to OG, HLTV has learned, which allows the Dane to explore his options as an unrestricted free agent after spending the past seven months benched.

The 24-year-old joined the lineup in March 2021 as a replacement for Nathan "⁠NBK-⁠" Schmitt and was on the active roster for a little over a year. The Dane was ultimately sidelined in May 2022 in the aftermath of the team's inability to qualify for the PGL Antwerp Major.

niko's yearlong tenure with OG was rather uneventful as a trophy drought plagued the roster and they failed to reach both the PGL Stockholm and PGL Antwerp Majors. The team's campaigns through IEM Winter 2021 and IEM Katowice 2022, their two Big Event appearances with niko, ended with incredibly lacklustre 9-12th and 13-16th place finishes.

Individually, niko put up a modest performance, averaging a dead-even 1.00 rating over 111 maps whilst a part of the international ensemble. His best showing before being removed from the squad came in the form of a healthy 1.18 rating at the BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2022, where the side twice got the better of Astralis and moved past MIBR en route to a surprise 1st-3rd place finish.

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OG put academy project on hold

niko isn't the only OG player to depart the organisation in recent times, Mateusz "⁠mantuu⁠" Wilczewski's contract expired in early January bringing a three-year partnership between the Pole and the organisation. OG also put their academy project on hold on January 13, stating that they have opted to focus their attention on their main roster.

"Coming into 2023 I'm really more motivated than I've ever been. I'm constantly on the lookout for the right team and can't wait to find my next home," niko commented. "I'm sure wherever I end up that it'll be good. I'm positive about the future and can't wait to show how I've improved my play even further the last year."