The new Ninjas in Pyjamas sniper Artem r1nkle Moroz spoke to Players before the start of the ESL Pro League Season 19 with CS2. The Ukrainian talked about offers from other teams, his move to NIP, and adaptation to the new team.
You've been in B8 for a long time, why do you think the team hasn't managed to take the next step and reach the next level?
We had a few opportunities at RMR, we had three rounds to reach the major. I think these were our opportunities to reach the next level, but we were unlucky and had no experience at that time. That's why we didn't make it to the next level.
So it's all about experience?
I think so.
Maybe there was something else missing? Because experience is gained when you play matches and tournaments. The team played quite a lot.
We played a lot against Tier-2 or Tier-3. Experience, I think, is when you play against Tier-1 and it's not practice matches, because when you play official games, you understand more mistakes and fix them, and when you play practice matches you fix them too, it's not quite the same. We played only two Tier-1 tournaments, two RMRs. Sometimes we played against Tier-1 teams like ENCE and others, but it was not enough. And we were unlucky somewhere.
How did you get the offer from NIP, did you think about it for a long time?
I had about five offers from other teams. NIP was one of the first, and when I found out about all of them, I immediately decided that I would go to NIP. It was the best option for me.
You said that you received five offers, what level were these teams?
Tier-2, but they played in good tournaments.
Do you remember when you received the offer?
I received the offer in early March.
Did you think about it for a long time?
We talked a lot with NIP, about two or three interviews. After that, I decided that yes, it should be NIP. It wasn't like they sent me an invitation to my email and I immediately said yes and I'm going. But after the interview, I decided that this is the team I want to go to.
Did you talk to the management or the head coach?
Both the management and the head coach.
How do they see you in the team, what did they tell you?
The main thing they told me was to be myself. If I want to play aggressively, then I have to play the way I want to play, not change to suit the team, as I did in B8.
Your squad is not yet fully formed, does it affect morale and motivation much?
No, it doesn't, because we have a good squad now. The fact that REZ is sick and won't be at the EPL is not good, because he is one of the main players in our team, but we will still do our best. We will play more as individuals because we had very little time to train together with xKacpersky. But it doesn't matter, we are playing and enjoying playing with each other.
You mentioned REZ, he's not going to be here, when did you find out about it and how did you prepare for the replacement?
It's difficult, because we trained with REZ for a week and a half or two, we played a lot with each other. I found out when we had a few days off, about five or six days before the EPL. Of course, it's a shame, but you have to be professional and play.
How is the atmosphere in the team in general, who is responsible for the atmosphere?
Well, most of all, it's maxster, because he loves to sing, he sings a lot, it's really a lot of fun. alex and BluePho3nix are also very emotional guys and they always support, so I think it's good. Vibe is very cool in the team.
You say maxster likes to sing. When does he do it, at the bootcamp, or when you win a prank there and he decides to sing?
No, he doesn't sing during the practice games, but before the pracs or when there is a break, he can sing.
What does he like to sing?
I don't know, it's something of his own.
Does NIP have a psychologist?
Yes, of course we do. I wouldn't say it's a psychologist, it's more than that. Because he regulates our physical fitness and what we eat. If you have any questions, you come to him and solve the problem, because no one will fix it for you.
How is your English, do you have any problems with communication?
Yes, at the start, when I first joined, after training days, I sometimes had a headache. Now I'm more used to it. And I studied English when I was a kid, for about nine years. I have no problems with it, so everything is fine, I understand everything. But sometimes I forget words, but it's not a big deal.
What is your goal at least for the EPL, did the team talk about it?
There are no global goals for the tournament. But I think we just need to play and try to go as far as we can step by step, if we win, then we will go as far as we can.
We would like to thank our friends from FAVBET for their support of the project, as they actively support esports and make it closer to Ukrainian fans.