Steven R. July 25, 2019
The whole world seemed to hear Robin "Fifflaren" Johansson coming forward with the truth.
The former Ninjas in Pyjamas Counter-Strike: Global Offensive star sat down with journalist Richard Lewis for a lengthy discussion on his time with the organization and some of the rough patches he encountered along the way. The interview touched on a number of topics including withheld earnings, absurd contract terms, and public controversies.
Unsurprisingly, Fifflaren was the talk of the scene afterward, with many chiming in about their own experiences with NiP.
NiP responds to the controversy
One of the first to respond was NiP itself. The organization released point-by-point responses to a number of Fifflaren’s claims on its website, with many of them pointing back towards the previous ownership group.
“As the NiP leadership team, we feel strongly that to be the kind of organization we want to be moving forward, it’s critical that we learn and grow from past experiences,” the statement begins. “Equally, as a relatively new management team in NiP’s long history...we have dedicated all of our time and energy to recovering the organization from its turbulent past and mismanagement.”
While NiP’s current owners did not fully take over the organization until 2016, Fifflaren suggested they are not without blame, either. Fifflaren responded to their statement on Twitter.
“The NiP CEO released a statement earlier today, but I wonder, if he's so innocent why has he gone and removed convos between him and I,” Fifflaren said. “Oh well, shame I screenshotted all of it. Be sure to check out the vid.”
Other NiP players on the controversy
Fifflaren wasn’t alone in teasing that there were even more skeletons in the Ninjas in Pyjamas closet.
Former teammates Richard "Xizt" Landström and Adam "friberg" Friberg discussed the interview on Twitter and indicated that Fifflaren’s claims were all true, with Friberg adding “there's more stuff as well.” Alongside this, Mikail "Maikelele" Bill, who replaced Fifflaren on the NiP roster in 2014, suggested he had his own ugly dealings with NiP.
Though a number of former NiP players from that time have spoken up, those that remain with the organization have been deafeningly silent. Players Patrik "f0rest" Lindberg and Christopher "GeT_RiGhT" Alesund, as well as coach Faruk "pita" Pita, were all discussed during the interview but have not acknowledged it on social media to this point.
With Fifflaren defiant over the response on Twitter and more former NiP players speaking out, it seems likely that this story will continue on.