Snappi's NIP end hunt for first LAN with PGL Astana qualification

The new-look Ninjas beat four of the organization's ex-players to seal a spot at the $1,250,000 event.

Ninjas in Pyjamas have qualified for PGL Astana after emerging victorious from the grueling 32-team Europe qualifier.

The Marco "⁠Snappi⁠" Pfeiffer-led side beat Metizport 3-2 in the grand final to earn the organization its first LAN berth of 2025, finally offering NIP's players some light at the end of the tunnel after a beleaguered three months.

It has been a rough year so far for the organization after it overhauled its roster in January, resulting in a reset of its VRS rank.

The team tried to use Audric "⁠JACKZ⁠" Jug as a stand-in to score wildcard invites and get their foot back in the door, but failed to advance out of five CCT closed qualifiers and had to return to using their regular roster after JACKZ's wildcard eligibility window expired.

The new lineup finally received a Valve rank on February 15 after playing 10 matches, but were still nowhere near the threshold to even get invites to online cups or qualifiers at #173.

NIP's search for VRS points led to them registering for smaller regional LANs, including Level Up LUND! and Fragadelphia Vegas, for later in April.

In the interim, Ninjas in Pyjamas' only option to raise their rank has been to grind through notoriously difficult online open qualifiers, but three months in those efforts have finally paid off.

As if to evidence just how grueling and difficult that grind can be, Ninjas in Pyjamas' run to Astana was almost over before it even began. They lost a map to Hesta in the fourth and final open qualifier and were down 4-12 on the second, but recovered in overtime and on the decider to advance.

A loss to fnatic in the Group D upper bracket final meant Ninjas in Pyjamas also took a longer route through the closed qualifier, but they got revenge over Benjamin "⁠blameF⁠" Bremer's side to reach playoffs before beating back B8 to reach the final.

Date	Matches
PGL Astana 2025 Europe Closed Qualifier
27/03/2025	Passion UA Finished 0:2 Ninjas in Pyjamas	Match
28/03/2025	Ninjas in Pyjamas Finished 2:0 JANO	Match
29/03/2025	Ninjas in Pyjamas Finished 0:2 fnatic	Match
30/03/2025	Ninjas in Pyjamas Finished 2:0 AMKAL	Match
30/03/2025	fnatic Finished 0:2 Ninjas in Pyjamas	Match
31/03/2025	B8 Finished 0:2 Ninjas in Pyjamas	Match

Ninjas in Pyjamas put up a blistering offense on Anubis to start the series, winning every opening duel after an early force-buy war for a 9-3 lead.

It took them all 24 rounds to close the map despite winning the second pistol, and the 1-0 lead was quickly soured after Isak "⁠isak⁠" Fahlén put on a clinic with his career-best map, posting a 22-7 K-D, 133.1 ADR, 5:0 opening kill record, and 2.31-rating to win Nuke 13-4 for Metizport.

Ninjas in Pyjamas then went down 4-8 on Dust2 before an excellent T side from Rasmus "⁠sjuush⁠" Beck and Michel "⁠ewjerkz⁠" Pinto allowed them to force overtime and run away the victors.

Ancient started even worse as Ninjas in Pyjamas went down 0-9 to a dominant CT side from Metizport, but this time Hampus "⁠hampus⁠" Poser' side closed out the map only to run out of steam on the Inferno decider with NIP going from 1-5 down to a 13-8 victory.