Can Stavn Carry Ninjas in Pyjamas to S-Tier Events Once Again?

One of Counter-Strike's most storied teams has left fans scratching their heads once again. Five-time CSGO Major finalists Ninjas in Pyjamas have finally revealed their next star AWPer. The 2014 ESL One Major winners announced the signing of Martin ‘Stavn’ Lund as their primary sniper. The Danish CS2 player will replace Artem ‘R1nkle’ Moroz in the starting lineup this season.

Stavn CS NIP Signing: What it Means for the Competitive Scene

Stavn CS recently expressed his wish to return to Counter-Strike 2's competitive scene in a January statement. The Dane claimed that professional therapy and patience have helped him feel more grounded and ready to strive for glory.

Before his hiatus, Stavn CS operated as a hybrid AWP/rifle player for Astralis, competing alongside top players like Jabbi and Dev1ce. He spent eight months out of action, standing down from Astralis due to personal reasons.

Why Was Stavn Missing From the Competitive Scene?

As per HLTV, Stavn was deeply affected by the loss of his brother in 2021. Stavn's brother had committed suicide. It was his eldest brother, Thomas, who passed away. At the time, Stavn had to skip the Blast World Finals to cope with this personal loss. He also had other issues that forced him to take a break from professional Counter-Strike.

NIP's AWPer Tragedy and Stavn's Recent Showings

Ninjas in Pyjamas have failed to find a stable AWP player since Nicolai ‘Dev1ce’ Reedtz's departure in 2022. It was under his star-fragging that NIP bagged the IEM Fall 2021 crown while making the finals of IEM Winter 2021, where they lost to Vitality. They even made the top eight at the Stockholm Major, where they lost to a Niko-led G2. Since Dev1ce's departure, NIP brought in fresh talent from NAVI Junior, Daniil "headtr1ck" Valitov. R1nkle replaced him in April 2025, and now, a year later, the Stavn CS NIP signing puts him on the bench.

Stavn had a rough time at Astralis, despite being one of the more mechanically superior players on the team. Unlike his teammates Jabbi and Staehr, Stavn failed to show up on important occasions, often resulting in his team crashing out of top-tier events.

Stavn's HLTV rating dipped to 1.07 in 2025. Despite his poor run, he managed to secure a third-place finish at PGL Cluj-Napoca while making the finals of PGL Astana 2025. He did all of that as a star rifle player. While he has racked up highlights with the Big Green, Stavn has never really functioned as a stable Tier-1 AWPer. It is quite the gutsy move, in my opinion, to switch to a new role after missing months of Tier-1 CS action.

You can also check out Stavn's CS2 pro settings on our website. Alongside Stavn settings CS2, you'll find other options featuring pros like Zywoo and M0nesy.

Can Stavn Help NIP Reach Tier-1 Counter-Strike Once Again?

Stavn will reunite with fellow teammates, including Rasmus ‘Sjuush’ and Richard ‘Xizt’ Landstrom, during his time at HEROIC. He also has some experience working with Marco ‘Snappi’ Pfeiffer, playing with him in a pre-COVID lineup for HEROIC. Stavn will be looking to re-establish himself in a squad that is set to miss the IEM Cologne Major 2026. With ‘R1nkle’ joining Michel ‘Ewjerkz’ Pinto on the bench, it remains to be seen if NIP can reach the top once again.

Current NIP line-up:

• Marco "⁠Snappi⁠" Pfeiffer
• Rasmus "⁠sjuush⁠" Beck
• Kacper "⁠xKacpersky⁠" Gabara
• Artem "⁠cairne⁠" Mushynskyi
• Martin "⁠stavn⁠" Lund
• Richard "⁠Xizt⁠" Landström (coach)

Stavn remains one of the biggest and brightest prospects in Counter-Strike today, especially since he is still just 24 years old. A new role in a fresh team could be just what the Dane needs to make it back to the top. That said, the path to glory will be more difficult than ever, and it remains to be seen how Stavn CS NIP signing bodes for the Swedish organization.