Ninjas in Pyjamas confidently went through StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025, stopping only in the decisive match against NAVI. For Snappi’s squad, this is more than just silver — the result secured their position in the VRS ranking and brought the team as close as possible to qualifying for the upcoming Major in Budapest.
NIP’S PATH IN THE TOURNAMENT
After their initial group-stage victories, NiP faced their biggest challenge — their encounters with NAVI. In the upper bracket, the “ninjas” lost 0:2 (7:13 on Nuke, 7:13 on Inferno). Despite this, the team quickly bounced back: in the match for a spot in the final against B8, NiP displayed discipline and individual strength. Train ended with a confident 13:7, and on Dust2 the Swedish organization sealed the deal with a 13:11 win.
It really sucks, when you lose a final it feels shit, you sit and think about all the things you should have done different. Inferno probably comes out in our favor if we don’t screw up. But then again, there’s a lot of positives to take away from it.
The final against NAVI was much closer than the upper-bracket clash. NiP managed to put up a fight on both maps, but NAVI once again proved stronger in the key moments. Nuke ended 13:7, and on Inferno Snappi’s team couldn’t hold on to their early advantage, losing 10:13.
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
The driving force behind NiP in the playoffs was Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara, who against B8 racked up 38 frags on Train and posted a 1.56 rating, deservedly earning MVP of the match. In the final against NAVI he also remained the most consistent in the squad, finishing the series with a 1.10 rating.
We needed to find a way to activate them both, and I think we succeeded. Kacper played a good tournament here, and so did r1nkle.
Artem “r1nkle” Moroz and Michel “ewjerkz” Pinto added stability to the team, but in the final they fell short against NAVI’s individual strength. Mihai “iM” Ivan (39–27, rating 1.49) and Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov (35–26, rating 1.41) stood out in particular, becoming the key factors behind the “Born to Win” triumph.
VRS SYSTEM AND THE MAJOR RACE CONTEXT
Despite losing in the final, NiP earned crucial VRS points that practically guarantee them a slot at the Major in Budapest. The tournament highlighted how difficult it is to break into the top under the current system: most European slots were determined back in the summer, and any lost points against weaker opponents are punished severely. According to Snappi, this creates a closed-off top tier and forces teams to avoid risky matches.
In this system, you really need to have a decent rank in January because you can see this time, 14 of the EU spots are decided in July. That’s pretty much how the system works, as long as people protect their own points and don’t play lower opponents.
A RESULT THAT SHAPES THE TEAM’S AMBITIONS
StarSeries Fall served as confirmation that NiP is on the right development path. The team not only delivered results but also achieved their main goal — unleashing the potential of their young players. If xKacpersky and r1nkle can maintain their level over time, and if Snappi continues to adjust the team’s style wisely to their opponents, NiP has every chance not just to qualify for the Major but to compete with top-10 squads.
It feels good to get closer to the Major.
The final against NAVI revealed weaknesses — hesitation in decisive moments and a series of individual mistakes. Yet the series against B8 and xKacpersky’s consistency proved that the “ninjas” are once again becoming a force to be reckoned with.
