Counter Strike 2: Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) unexpectedly puts Academy team Young Ninjas project on-hold..

Chinese-Swedish e-sports powerhouse Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP), which was owned by Mario Ho, son of the late Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho, unexpectedly announced on Thursday via the club's official X (Twitter) account that it is temporarily putting its Counter Strike 2 (CS2) Academy team, Young Ninjas' project on-hold.

In an official statement, NIP said, "Developing the next generation of talent has always been a key part of our mission, and we are honored to have witnessed these players grow, progress, and move to the next stage of their careers."

"Looking ahead, we have made the difficult decision to put the Young Ninjas project on-hold for the foreseeable future. While this has not been easy, we believe it is the right choice when evaluating the future of our competitive ecosystem."

"Thank you to everyone who has supported Young Ninjas along the way. We sincerely wish all the players the best in their future careers, and we will always be there to support them."

With this announcement, all current Young Ninjas players — rud, tein, joeski, and coach Zitte — have been released and entered the free agent market. Rifler n0te meanwhile had previously been promoted to the main roster as a stand-in.

Young Ninjas' last competition was in mid-June at the European Pro League Series #7, where they finished in the top 9 after losing to TDK in the playoffs.

Founded in late 2020, Young Ninjas is one of the most successful Academy teams in the Counter Strike 2 (CS2) e-sports scene in developing young talent.

Over the years, the team has  developed several players who are now shining in top-tier competitions, including ztr, phzy, and nilo.

Among them, xKacpersky, like n0te, was promoted to the main roster and even became NIP's ace rifler in the current roster.

Image source: Internet / Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) Official X (Twitter) Account