NIP Impact sign vilga

16-7-2024 18:42

The Russian captain earns a permanent place on the team after a brief stand-in stint.

vilga and NIP Impact will both hope to turn around their recent trajectories

Ksenia "⁠vilga⁠" Kluenkova has signed with NIP Impact after standing in for the team for two months, the organization has announced. She has filled the spot vacated by Jennica "⁠jenkon⁠" Sjögren since May, and now officially takes over leadership duties after signing on ahead of the Fall season.

The 32-year-old was left without a team when her Fearless Cheetahs project disbanded in April after they narrowly failed to qualify for ESL Impact League Season 5 Finals.

vilga's Fearless Cheetahs disbands

It was the first time vilga missed out on playing at an Impact League Finals since the circuit's creation, adding insult to injury mere months after she was replaced by Zainab "⁠zAAz⁠" Turkie on Nigma Galaxy (now Imperial Valkyries).

Her former team — twice named the Women's Team of the Year by HLTV — went on to win the event to claim their seventh consecutive ESL Impact LAN title.

zAAz: "I belong here"

Soon after Fearless Cheetahs disbanded, vilga was spotted on the server with NIP Impact. She played three events with the team before the tournament break, including a victory in ESL Impact Spring Cash Cup 5.

NIP Impact has a full month to prepare for Season 6 of ESL Impact League, scheduled to kick off on August 28. The Swedish organization has failed to qualify for a single ESL Impact LAN since entering the women's scene nearly two years ago and hopes to turn that around with vilga,

Kiara "⁠Qiyarah⁠" Janssen
Naomi "⁠Nayomy⁠" Janssen
Anna "⁠ramziiN⁠" Ramsing
Mia "⁠aiM⁠" Cooper
Ksenia "⁠vilga⁠" Kluenkova