There are transfers and then there is the transfer Ninjas In Pyjamas (NIP) just did at the end of last week. The whole CS:GO community was left speechless after it was announced that one of the biggest stars in the game, Astralis’ Dev1ce who spent five years on the team and won four Majors along the way, is leaving Denmark for Sweden.

Ninjas In Pyjamas Just Made The Biggest Move In CS:GO History, But How Did That Happen?

Well, “speechless” probably isn’t the best adjective to use, since many, many people had a lot to say, and it seemed as though the CS:GO realm was as alive as it’s been for some time now. Opinions were flying left and right, from people who were completely blindsided to those “insiders” claiming they already knew, just didn’t want to say.

Of course, the fans are a separate category: judging by the flood of comments on Dev1ce’s accounts, many were angry, hurt and inconsolable, which, when you take everything into consideration, isn’t at all strange. Ultimately, we are talking about the superstar of the best team in CS:GO, who have been experiencing a backlash for some time now, since Astralis weren’t doing their best and it was kind of obvious something big, and possibly not so great, is going on.

That big something was also implied by Dev1ce himself, in the last big interview he gave for HLTV just a few days before he transferred. He then said that changes are inevitable for Astralis, but everyone’s thoughts went straight to es3tag. When in fact, he was obviously talking about himself, and possibly something more that’s yet to come, as many are now speculating.

Why Did He Leave Astralis?

Stories that are now resurfacing suggest that the ill treatment Astralis gave their players, but on the other hand, it was the hardcore regimes that were also the main reason for their endless victory streak in the past. Whatever the atmosphere there may be, it’s hard to believe that this big of a transfer is going to stay an isolated event, although Dev1ce diplomatically stated private factors as the main reason for his transfer.

He lives in Sweden for some time now, and his girlfriend is Swedish, so he is tired of travelling back and forth, he says, and has allegedly decided to spend all that “travelling energy” on playing. Sure, that sounds logical and all, but we should never forget that we are talking about one of the CS:GO greats, who is still not close to retirement, which also means he won’t settle for a team that’s not winning.

So how much chance do Ninjas In Pyjamas have with Dev1ce? We are talking about a roster that is currently sitting outside of the top 10, but that has also recently shown some great games. That also means their schedule isn’t so packed as the schedules of the rosters at the top of the rankings, and also that the first big test they’ll have is Flashpoint 3 which starts on May 10^th.

What Now?

That would leave them with three weeks adjustment period from transfer announcement to their first showing on an international stage. Dev1ce will certainly raise the quality of their overall game, but we will soon see how quickly and well, they’ll all adjust to each other. Ninjas In Pyjamas currently have two very young players, ZTR (17) and Plopski (18), so we’ll soon see if they’ll be starstruck and overwhelmed, or they’ll use this as a great opportunity to learn from the best.

In the end, what are the consequences of this big move? Well, it’s too early to say, but CS:GO community did need a good shaking, and this is just what the doctor ordered. We could have watched Astralis’ slow demise and speculate on what is happening there or what should be done, but instead, we got the excitement of something new and different, which automatically bring the so needed change.

While we wait to see what Astralis and Ninjas In Pyjamas do next and for Flashpoint to see how all this newness transpires, visit our Pick6 and play for free today.