Ninjas in Pyjamas have announced Hampus “hampus” Poser as the newest addition to the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) roster. The former Team GamerLegion player will join the active lineup to replace former in-game leader Jonas “Lekr0” Olofsson, who is being transitioned to the bench.
Hampus on Ninjas in Pyjamas
Jonas Gundersen, COO of Ninjas in Pyjamas, commented in a release:
Success and trophies are a natural part of the Ninjas in Pyjamas legacy and it’s been a top priority of mine to build an esports setup that will allow us to consistently recruit, develop, and retain the highest caliber of talent.
It’s in our DNA to be a team that contests for the big trophies, and we want to get back there. We have already seen a lot of promise with our new roster and it’s because of that we are now able to look further ahead and benchmark it versus our long term aspirations.
While Lekr0 is known for his past success, the 2019 season has not been consistent. The 26-year-old took home first place finishes while on Fnatic at the Intel Extreme Masters XII and World Electronic Sports Games 2017. However, this positive trajectory did not continue, which led to his being put on the bench in May of 2018.
Lekr0 was later transferred to Ninjas in Pyjamas in June, which means almost a full year has passed since then. The organization has been filled with unpredictable results since. This includes decent performances at BLAST Pro Series events but also early eliminations at other events.
Replacing Lekr0 as IGL
About this development, Hampus added: “I am very excited to have been given this opportunity to play for NiP. It really is a dream come true. I’m also looking forward to reuniting with some insanely skilled old teammates and friends and can’t wait to start working and do great things together.”
Gundersen states that the roster change came to fruition after discussion with coach Björn “THREAT” Pers and the performance staff. They felt that Hampus better suited the in-game leader position for the direction that the team was heading. In addition, the Swedish player has numerous placements in the tier two circuit, which can translate to growth on the main stage.
Hampus will play his first match with the Ninjas in Pyjamas roster at DreamHack Masters Spring 2020: North America on May 28. The tournament features teams like 100 Thieves, Evil Geniuses, Team Liquid, MIBR, and FURIA battling it out for a $100,000 USD prize pool.
