When legendary Counter Strike organisation Ninjas in Pyjamas entered Rainbow Six in June 2018, there was immense hype around the signing of the former Black Dragons roster. This team, after all, had very recently defeated the titantic PENTA Sports (now G2 Esports) to deny them a third Rainbow Six title on the trot, though they had been unable to rally around the home crowd to defeat ENCE eSports in the Grand Final. Unfortunately for the team, there were troubles that lay ahead -- and had been arguably brewing for some time following a Semi-Finals exit at the Six Major 2018, and a failure to make it to the Pro League Finals for Season 7. The team then suffered a Quarter-Finals exit at the Six Major Paris and only narrowly avoided the relegation zone after storming to a strong finish in the tail-end of Season 8 which got them to sixth place -- safety.
The NiP roster prior to the Season 8 Finals Now, though, Julio and his team are feeling much better. Having swapped pzd for Pino, the Ninjas find themselves in third place -- just one point behind the tied league leaders of Immortals and Team Liquid. While a 4-2-1 Win-Draw-Loss record isn't the best, it is a stark improvement from the last season. We spoke to Julio "Julio" Giacomelli to ask about his team's expectations and preparations for the upcoming Six Invitational 2019. Firstly can you introduce me to your team and your roles?
At the end of Season 8 your team made the decision to drop pzd for Pino; how did you come to this decision?
NiP at DreamHack Valencia 2018 Pino had spent the last two years in the PUBG scene, how long did it take him to get back to a competitive level in R6?
Last Season of the Pro League was fairly disappointing for NiP, what happened?
How are you preparing for the Invitational?
Julio at DreamHack Valencia 2018 At the Invitational, you play the opening game against FaZe Clan followed by either Reciprocity or a rematch against Fnatic. What results can we expect from these games?
Excluding yourselves, which teams do you think will make the Invitational grand finals?
What changes would you make to R6S’s gameplay and esports?
Any messages to your fans?
--- The Ninjas in Pyjamas' next game will be the curtain-raiser on Monday when their Six Invitational run kicks off with a matchup against regional rivals and traditional Brazilian titans FaZe Clan at 10:10 AM UTC-5. Keep an eye out for more interviews and Six Invitational coverage here at SiegeGG!