Ninjas in Pyjamas to Replace IGL Snappi, Explore Options

Ninjas in Pyjamas are searching the transfer market for a new in-game leader and intend to replace Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer after a run of mixed results, sources said. Snappi has agreed he would step aside if the club wanted a different leadership direction and is open to moving into another role.

The decision to pursue a new IGL was described as mutual by people familiar with the situation. Club officials are evaluating internal and external candidates to improve tactical consistency. One reported approach involved an offer for Linus “LNZ” Holtäng, which the player’s current club declined.

The organisation is also considering filling the vacancy created when Artem “cairne” Mushynskyi was benched in June. Academy player Roman “n0te” Hamze has been playing with the main roster on an interim basis since then. Team management will decide whether to promote from the academy or recruit externally for the IGL position and other roster needs.

Ninjas in Pyjamas currently sit 20th in the Europe VRS rankings and have no tier-1 invites on the immediate calendar. Recent results include a 17th-24th finish at the Esports World Cup after losses to Legacy and Astralis and a win over BetBoom; the team also placed 12th-14th at XSE Pro League, 5th-8th at BLAST Premier Rising, third at Stake Ranked Episode 3, 9th-16th at BLAST Bounty, and 3rd-4th in the closed qualifier for StarSeries Fall.

Snappi joined Ninjas in Pyjamas in January 2025 when the roster was rebuilt around Artem “r1nkle” Moroz. During his time as captain the team reached the StarSeries Fall 2025 grand final, qualified for Stage 2 of the Budapest Major, and finished in the top 12 at IEM Cologne 2025. He has publicly noted the team’s inconsistency, saying, “Sometimes it’s hard to know which NIP shows up.”

The club will return to action at Logitech G Play Connect, a $100,000 event in Warsaw running September 17-23, and is registered for ROG Journey Autumn in early October. Sources indicated the organisation wants a settled leadership profile before those events.

Ninjas in Pyjamas declined to comment when contacted. The organisation’s next steps are expected to focus on finalising an IGL candidate and resolving interim roster placements ahead of the September tournament.