NIP entered the 2026 season after a difficult but ultimately successful rebuild year, grinding through smaller events to recover their VRS and return to Major contention. Having closely followed the team throughout StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Tedd takes a deeper look at why this project remains one of the most interesting in Counter-Strike — and why the offseason roster change signals a clear shift in direction rather than a simple replacement.
The focus of the breakdown is the decision to replace ewjerkz with Ukrainian rifler cairne, a young but still relatively inexperienced player at the international level. Tedd analyzes cairne’s background, limited LAN exposure, and playstyle, explaining why NIP see long-term value in his aggressive rifling and raw firepower. Rather than expecting instant results, the analysis emphasizes adaptation time, confidence, and how cairne’s role differs fundamentally from what ewjerkz brought to the lineup.
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Most importantly, the video explores how this move reshapes NIP internally: role swaps across multiple maps, greater freedom for cairne in key CT positions, and increased responsibility for Kasperski and Snappi in structuring the team. Through concrete map examples like Ancient and Overpass, Tedd explains why these changes point toward a two-star rifle core and a more flexible system — one that could elevate NIP from a solid tactically sound team into a genuine threat against top-tier opposition.
