NiP benches cairne after Cologne Major miss

Ninjas in Pyjamas announced on X that rifler Artem ‘cairne’ Mushynskyi has been moved to the bench after the team failed to qualify for the Cologne Major. The organization has now benched three players from its active roster.

The 23-year-old Ukrainian joined NiP in January 2026 from Inner Circle. During his time with the team he recorded a 1.03 rating and helped NiP win two VRS LAN events: HyperX Roman Imperium Cup VI and Stake Ranked Episode 2.

Earlier changes to the lineup included the removal of Artem ‘r1nkle’ Moroz in April, with Martin ‘stavn’ Lund signed as the primary AWPer. Michel ‘ewjerkz’ Pinto also remains on the bench. NiP’s listed active players are Marco ‘Snappi’ Pfeiffer, Rasmus ‘sjuush’ Beck, Kacper ‘xKacpersky’ Gabara and Martin ‘stavn’ Lund, with Richard ‘Xizt’ Landström as coach.

NiP will open the XSE Pro League 2026 against 3DMAX on July 1, 2026. The club has just over two weeks to register a replacement player and integrate them into practice and the team’s tactical setup before that match.

In a post on X, Artem ‘cairne’ Mushynskyi wrote: “Unfortunately, we came to realize that our fundamental approach to the game differs in some important ways and in the end, the team needs something different from what I naturally bring as a player, and I respect that decision.” He did not outline his next steps.

NiP failed to secure a spot at the Cologne Major despite the two LAN wins earlier in the spring. The organization opted to bench three players rather than make immediate permanent transfers, leaving the roster open for trial periods or short-term signings ahead of the league opener.