sjuush shines as NIP beat Virtus.pro in Astana

The Russian team got off on the wrong foot in Kazakhstan.

sjuush in great form as NIP join 1-0 pool in Astana

Ninjas in Pyjamas passed their first test at PGL Astana 2025, defeating Virtus.pro 2-1 to move into the Swiss stage's 1-0 pool. Their win was decorated by a vintage performance from Rasmus "⁠sjuush⁠" Beck, who posted a series-high 1.48 rating with great showings in the second halves of all maps.

With this victory, the Ninjas have taken an important step towards their goal of climbing the ranking. They have accrued 78 VRS points off this series alone, jumping 12 places to 36th in the world standings.

The defeat is a big blow for Virtus.pro, who had entered the series confident in their chances of ending a three-match losing streak.

Playing their first official game under new head coach Ivan "⁠F_1N⁠" Kochugov, who replaced Pavel "⁠PASHANOJ⁠" Legostaev after IEM Melbourne, the Russian team looked as disjointed and lackluster as before, and even their map win came in the final round of regulation after they let a comfortable 12-6 lead slip.

The series began with Ninjas in Pyjamas winning their pocket pick of Train with a flawless CT side, where sjuush and Artem "⁠r1nkle⁠" Moroz combined for 18 frags in a 7-0 run.

Kaisar "⁠ICY⁠" Faiznurov spearheaded Virtus.pro's efforts on Dust2 with a 1.73 rating, but it was still an ugly 13-11 victory that was too close for comfort for the Russian side, who enjoyed a dominant 8-1 start but then lost their grip on proceedings.

Ninjas in Pyjamas were ahead the entire game on Ancient, where sjuush managed to get his team across the line with important multi-kills on the CT side after Virtus.pro had brought the deficit down to a single round.

6
Train
13
13
Dust2
11
9
Ancient
13
 Virtus.pro K - D Swing ADR KAST Rating2.1
48 - 33 +3.69% 73.5 67.7% 1.12
42 - 46 +0.57% 68.6 67.7% 0.91
34 - 49 -4.32% 61.9 61.5% 0.83
36 - 43 -2.12% 58.9 67.7% 0.82
27 - 46 -2.96% 56.2 60.0% 0.66
 Ninjas in Pyjamas K - D Swing ADR KAST Rating2.1
58 - 34 +4.68% 89.7 83.1% 1.48
49 - 35 +1.63% 83.4 73.8% 1.22
43 - 39 +1.40% 71.1 73.8% 1.02
36 - 38 -0.37% 64.0 72.3% 0.99
29 - 42 -2.71% 62.4 64.6% 0.88
Russia Pavel 'PASHANOJ' Legostaev
Pavel 'PASHANOJ' Legostaev
Age:
30
Team:
No team
Rating 1.0:
0.83
Maps played:
620
KPR:
0.58
DPR:
0.73
Denmark Rasmus 'sjuush' Beck
Rasmus 'sjuush' Beck
Age:
26
Rating 1.0:
1.02
Maps played:
1354
KPR:
0.68
DPR:
0.65
Ukraine Artem 'r1nkle' Moroz
Artem 'r1nkle' Moroz
Age:
20
Rating 1.0:
1.11
Maps played:
689
KPR:
0.75
DPR:
0.63
Kazakhstan Kaisar 'ICY' Faiznurov
Kaisar 'ICY' Faiznurov
Age:
19
Team:
Rating 1.0:
1.11
Maps played:
393
KPR:
0.71
DPR:
0.57
#1
 | 
Honduras tIdr
NIP IS BACK!?
2025-05-10 16:23
57
7 replies
#12
gabs | 
Romania cala07
yes
2025-05-10 16:26
4
more like vp is absolutely ungodly fkn done lmao
2025-05-10 16:30
29
4 replies
This NiP lineup is a pretty solid top15 core
2025-05-10 16:54
9
2 replies
#41
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
kinkybdsm | 
Other MissingN0
Words like shit garbage and trash doesn't accurately describe just how bad this VP with electronic is.
2025-05-10 18:30
6
1 reply
True, but it dosnt change the fact that NiP will be a solid top15 team soon.
2025-05-10 19:16
1
electroNic finally taking pages from Karrigans books.
2025-05-11 21:10
0
arroz need to step up if we want a comp nip tier TEAM
2025-05-11 00:17
1
wp electronic, truly one of the igls of all time
2025-05-10 16:24
72
2 replies
indeed, his winrate probably broke he charts
2025-05-10 16:38
4
#47
 | 
Sweden Madrigals1
There are almost no IGLs other than him
2025-05-10 19:12
2
With sjuush falcons win all three of those finals
2025-05-10 16:24
17
4 replies
Sjuush not for sale sorry
2025-05-10 16:26
1
2 replies
Everyone did him wrong in his career. He deserves so much better.
2025-05-10 16:26
8
1 reply
Ye he diserve donk on the team
2025-05-10 16:28
0
#45
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
 | 
Greece her-1g
I was literally saying sjuush was the answer to falcon's problems and not kyosouke. Kyo would be a good future replacement of Niko when he retires but now they need a stable anchor to take off. Yet they are doing what PSG did in football all these years and failed
2025-05-10 18:46
4
#4
 | 
Iceland Barkleys
Losing to NiP in big 2025 is crazy
2025-05-10 16:24
9
13 replies
Talking with that flair sound like a joke
2025-05-10 16:25
33
10 replies
#15
 | 
Iceland Barkleys
"NiP_top_1_on_2025" Give it up
2025-05-10 16:27
3
9 replies
Faze my 0-3 major pickem
2025-05-10 16:28
12
8 replies
#19
 | 
Iceland Barkleys
NiP my 0-3 major pickem oh wait...
2025-05-10 16:28
14
7 replies
Ye faze played better at RMR, oh wait u get a free invite for 2023 performance?
2025-05-10 16:33
6
6 replies
#25
 | 
Iceland Barkleys
Cry about it kid
2025-05-10 16:34
1
5 replies
Kid lmao, faze dont even diserve that spot. NiP was top200 2 months ago. after Astana top15 at least
2025-05-10 16:35
6
4 replies
#28
 | 
Iceland Barkleys
It's not 2014
2025-05-10 16:37
0
3 replies
Its not what ever year faze was relevant
2025-05-10 16:38
4
2 replies
#31
 | 
Iceland Barkleys
I never said FaZe was relevant, stop crying
2025-05-10 16:39
0
You're so salty for absolutely no reason, you're almost NaCl
2025-05-10 20:27
0
NIP IGL isn't an egoist crybaby, ok...
2025-05-10 16:27
1
Meds
2025-05-10 19:08
0
#5
 | 
Germany DmX_s1X
I was here
2025-05-10 16:24
0
#6
 | 
Korea syjeon
NiP is so back!!! (they'll be back in t3 within a month)
2025-05-10 16:25
5
5 replies
Uhm ur flair have problems to defeat yekindar
2025-05-10 16:27
0
4 replies
#20
 | 
Korea syjeon
Your team had a problem defeating elec's VP so they're both as shit. But tbh the comment was a joke i actually think that NiP looks quite promising and have a potential to be ATLEAST a t1.5 team
2025-05-10 16:28
5
3 replies
Nip with one change is a top10 team, we are playing with 4 fucking anchors if u count snappi
2025-05-10 16:29
0
2 replies
guess you didnt see the match against vp. snappi lurk/entry almost every single round.
2025-05-10 16:52
0
1 reply
Ye they need to adapt but originaly they were all anchors
2025-05-10 18:12
0
#7
Faceit plus user Faceit level 10  | 
 | 
Sweden vetten
ABSOLUTE CINEMA
2025-05-10 16:24
6
#8
 | 
Scotland LinInABin
Funny how both sjuush and TeSeS, who were the "bitch" roles players on Heroic play much better than Stabbi
2025-05-10 16:24
25
2 replies
#14
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
solo | 
World epixeltwin
What's crazy is this is somehow surprising. When you think about it.... Stabbi look like bitches Stabbi behave like bitches Stabbi play like bitches It all adds up!
2025-05-10 16:26
5
#57
Faceit plus user Faceit level 10  | 
ZywOo | 
Denmark Mursten
They were always criminally underrated in that team while the other players who were mediovre got all the recognition
2025-05-11 00:25
5
#10
ICY | 
United States brub
god i love sjuush
2025-05-10 16:25
4
#26
 | 
Finland Tusku
hell yeah
2025-05-10 16:34
0
#32
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
 | 
Lithuania seneliz
-electronic +normaligl only option to safe VP oter guys is good
2025-05-10 16:42
1
#33
 | 
Sweden Vrede
nothing new about VP..
2025-05-10 16:49
0
NIP resurrection incoming
2025-05-10 16:51
3
electronic I love you <3
2025-05-10 17:10
0
kinda expected lmao, vp is just pure sh1t water rn ggs NiP
2025-05-10 18:15
1
2 replies
just further highlights the issues with VRS that shit water VP are #12
2025-05-10 19:20
0
1 reply
not denying it . VP being #13 in vrs, at this state is just criminal.
2025-05-10 19:21
0
#42
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
kinkybdsm | 
Other MissingN0
VP pushing through the boundaries, is there a team out there they cannot lose to?
2025-05-10 18:35
1
#44
Old school: User been here for more than 10 years  | 
 | 
Greece her-1g
Now NiP has a great anchor and a great awper imagine if they get a ztr and nilo and keep ewjerkz as well. Could be huge! Snappi and arroZ are way too mid imo
2025-05-10 18:43
0
#52
 | 
New Zealand Skye620
I remember a time Fl1t was valued at like $2m on buyout. Seems a lifetime ago now
2025-05-10 21:46
1
2 replies
I've got 7 dollars, some lint and a button
2025-05-11 00:17
0
1 reply
#58
 | 
New Zealand Skye620
Careful big spender! You could end up with the entire team with that
2025-05-11 04:29
1
The HLTV writers sure do love their feet, don’t they
2025-05-10 22:18
0
bottomtronic masterclass lmao
2025-05-10 22:39
3
Login or register to add your comment to the discussion.

Back to comment

Now playing
Thumbnail for stream
Brazil
MADHOUSE TV
17891 viewers
Top streams
All(64)
Casters(45)
Streamers(12)
Organizers(7)
Brazil
MADHOUSE TV
(17891)
Brazil
gaules
(9964)
Other
PGL
(8165)
Brazil
gaules
(4778)
Other
Thunderpick
(3340)
Russia
Paragon
(2910)
Other
PGL 2
(2565)
Russia
watchfulTV
(2019)
Brazil
gaules
(1801)
Russia
watchfulTV B
(1445)
Argentina
forg1
(1212)
Brazil
boltz
(1099)
Russia
Paragon 3
(925)
Brazil
fer
(880)
Argentina
forg1
(877)
Russia
HappyChucky
(850)
Brazil
nak
(721)
Russia
poka
(697)
Ukraine
Maincast
(640)
Belgium
ScreaM
(588)
Poland
IzakOOO
(583)
United States
Trottah
(491)
United States
freakazoid
(479)
Russia
m4ga
(440)
Brazil
mch
(439)
United States
Stewie2k
(436)
Russia
Paragon 2
(421)
Romania
Werty
(421)
Russia
SBolt
(398)
Argentina
elmorocho7
(314)
Ukraine
Maincast 2
(273)
France
KRL
(235)
United Kingdom
ESL TV
(230)
United States
Trucklover86
(188)
Brazil
mch
(168)
Finland
pelaajat
(167)
Brazil
VitinhO
(156)
France
Croissant Strike
(146)
Mongolia
maaRaa
(139)
Brazil
kabrafps
(132)
Russia
jmqa
(128)
Brazil
XISTERA
(123)
Other
PGL
(118)
Mongolia
Zilkenberg
(107)
Brazil
coldzera
(89)
Brazil
Tris_Mara
(87)
Other
PGL 2
(69)
Russia
Paragon
(58)
Kazakhstan
Paragon
(58)
Brazil
gaules TV 2
(46)
Brazil
BTSBrasilTV
(38)
United States
Regent
(37)
Brazil
VilacaTTV
(35)
Brazil
Napa
(30)
France
KRL 2
(25)
Brazil
gaules TV
(25)
United States
Trottah
(25)
Finland
Elisa Esports
(13)
United States
iamfusiion
(12)
Ukraine
WOLF
(6)
Brazil
kabrafps
(5)
Ukraine
Maincast
(2)
Brazil
BTSBrasilFPS
(1)
Brazil
JokerBR (YouTube)
(1)