It’s an end of an era for NIP.
Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) veteran Fredrik "REZ" Sterner has joined GamerLegion, marking an end to his nearly eight-year tenure with NIP. The Swedish rifler was the first piece in NIP's shift to the next generation of Swedish talents and maintained his spot on the roster through many tumultuous shuffles. REZ now joins GamerLegion, where he hopes to reinvent himself, similar to how Frederik "acoR" Gyldstrand did in the past.
GamerLegion are no strangers to hosting Swedish talents on their roster, with REZ's former teammate Erik "ztr" Gustafsson captaining the current roster. Given Ashley "ashhh" Battye's stellar track record with talented players, GamerLegion will hope to rejuvenate REZ back to his IEM Oakland 2017 form, as the organization quipped on X.
End of an era for NIP and REZ
REZ's departure from NIP marks a seismic shift in its roster-building strategy. After more than seven years of partnership, the team has decided to start anew with a fresh attempt at an international roster. Since 2017, REZ has been the one constant in NIP, overtaking Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg as the organization's longest-serving member.
In those seven years, REZ played with a number of legendary players, starting with f0rest, Christopher "GeT_RiGhT" Alesund, and Richard "Xizt" Landström. He also played alongside Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz in 2021, making a formidable AWP-rifle duo. In NIP's international forays, REZ partnered up with Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen, Kristian "k0nfig" Wienecke, and many others.
“REZ always kept working hard, no matter how many curveballs were thrown his way. After speaking with Fredrik, both sides ended up feeling that 'we tried, we're happy for the great times we had together, but it's time to move on.' It warms my heart to know that we can end his great chapter at NIP as friends. We will keep following him in his career, and we will always cheer for our favorite, one of Sweden's best ever, REZ. We say goodbye to a player, a colleague, and a friend to many of us at NIP.”
However, NIP struggled to find the right mix of players to elevate their roster, often leaving REZ in the lurch, covering roles such as taking over the AWP for a brief period. Lack of support and constant role-clashes meant REZ never lived up to his 2017 promise. Now as he turns a new leaf with GamerLegion, REZ has the chance to be a star.
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GamerLegion's REZ signing an absolute coup
While some continue to call GamerLegion's standout showings a surprise, there is no doubt that the organization has proven itself. First with Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek and now with ztr, ashhh has crafted a system that elevates its star performers.
Coming into 2025, GamerLegion have refreshed the tools at their disposal. MOUZ Academy's Oldřich "PR" Nový, joined the team in a recent transfer. The Czech player has already shown immense talent, with Prospects aficionado KingT saying PR will follow in the footsteps of Timur "FL4MUS" Maryev, and Mihai "iM" Ivan.
REZ now joins the team, replacing Sebastian "Volt" Maloș and bringing a much higher firepower ceiling to the roster. If set up correctly, REZ has the potential to play like a modern-day f0rest. And if anyone has the key to unlocking him, ashhh and ztr would be prime candidates.
GamerLegion will debut their new roster at BLAST Bounty Season 1. The team will hope to start the season strong and secure a high VRS ranking for the major.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more CS2 news.
