Win.gg
Dota 2
Ninjas in Pyjamas cuts captain SoNNeikO after string of bad results Ninjas in Pyjamas cuts captain SoNNeikO after string of bad results
Ninjas in Pyjamas’ Dota 2 team is now without a captain, as Akbar “SoNNeikO” Butaev has been released from the organization without a clear reason.
SoNNeikO announced the news himself with a short post on Twitter. Ninjas in Pyjamas has yet to release a formal statement on the matter, which raises an eyebrow over why and how the decision was made.
I am out from nip ! Thanks to my teammates for good days :)
— Akbar Butaev (@SoNNeikO_o)
July 7, 2020
SoNNeikO’s departure from the team comes as quite a shock, as some Dota 2 personalities have voiced their skepticism over the decision. Former Dota 2 professional player and analyst Kyle Freedman made his opinion known, calling SoNNeikO’s departure a “bad move” by NiP.
The well-known Swedish esports organization picked up the former Chicken Fighters roster on April 22, a team that was founded by SoNNeikO last year. This came after a breakdown of the organization’s Peter “ppd” Dager-led squad following his abrupt retirement from the game.
The team drew attention to themselves after taking fourth place the ESL One Los Angeles Online Europe and CIS league. Only three days later after this achievement, they were signed by NiP.
Under the Ninjas in Pyjamas banner, the team has played in several big tournaments including OGA Dota PIT, ESL One Birmingham, BLAST Bounty Hunt, and BEYOND EPIC. Paradoxically, the team’s results have dipped since being signed by NiP. The organization is undoubtedly hoping that a new captain will help the squad regain its previous form.
Though the release is likely frustrating for SoNNeikO, he shouldn’t be a free agent for an especially long time.
A number of notable European teams currently have holes on their rosters and could use SoNNeikO’s services. There are also so many skilled players currently without a team that he could easily form a new squad of his own.
On the other hand, stable in-game leaders are a hot commodity in the ever-changing CIS scene. With a large number of players being freshly teamless, including his former Natus Vincere teammate Idan “MagicaL” Vardanian, SoNNeikO could return to the CIS region just as easily.
Jared Wynne
About Jared Wynne
Jared Wynne is the Editor-in-Chief at WIN.gg, overseeing its content. He has been working in digital media for over two decades, most often in and around the gaming industry. His all-time favorite games include Baldur’s Gate, Doom, and Counter-Strike, but he’ll play just about anything that seems interesting. His previous credits include The Daily Dot, The Esports Observer, GameLand, and more.
View full profile
Read Also
Dota 2
ESIC hand down ruling in EWC Dota match-fixing case: Lifetime ban for coach as DarkMago gets a nickel
Michael Hassall
South American Dota 2 player Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera will be banned for five years from competitive Dota 2, with his coach Juan "Vintage" Angulo banned permanently, following the results of an The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) investigation. ESIC handed down the findings and rulings from its investigation into match-fixing allegations leveled at members of South American Dota 2 team PlayTime during the Esports World Cup on Sep. 10, in a ...
News
Polystrike Turns a Dota 2 Mod Into a Standalone Tactical Shooter
Hannan Mundia
After the community-made mod found success within the community, developer and publisher Robin Entertainment has decided to turn Polystrike into a proper standalone game. Community-made mods of games finding success within the respective game’s community is nothing new. However, only a handful of those mods are able to go on and become a standalone game. One of the more recent examples is The Forgotten City, which started as a mod ...
Dota 2
Team Spirit wins TI15 to lift a record third Aegis of Champions
Michael Hassall
Team Spirit has defeated TEAM VISION in the grand finals of TI15, The International 2025. In a full five-game series on Aug. 23, Spirit pulled out all the stops and narrowly defeated an incredible VISION team in a back-and-forth series in Shanghai, China. With Spirit’s victory, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk and Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov become the first ever three-time TI champions, and Team Spirit becomes the first ever organization to lift ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Finals Preview and Predictions
Michael Hassall
The International 2026, TI15, has reached its final day, and just three teams remain in the fight for the Aegis of Champions. With the lower bracket final and Grand Final still to come, everything comes down to one final day of Dota 2 action. The lower bracket finalists will first battle for the right to reach the main event’s final series, while the winner will advance to face the upper-bracket ...
Dota 2
TI15’s opening ceremony weaves a tapestry of emotion for Valve’s storied title
Michael Hassall
The main stage of The International 2026, TI15, kicked off today with the traditional opening ceremony heralding the start of the biggest celebration of Dota 2 on the calendar. On Aug. 20 fans in Shanghai, China, and at home, were treated to a rousing 11-minute series of performances and video packages, introducing TI15’s main stage show. Here’s how the magic unfolded: The ceremony began with a graphic which quite literally ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Playoffs preview and predictions
Michael Hassall
The Group Stage of The International 2026, TI15, is in the books and we’ve whittled down 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams to just eight finalists. One of these talented lineups will be the ones lifting the Aegis of Champions come Sunday, Aug. 23, but until then, there’s plenty of playoff shenanigans that could go on. Below we’ve put together a preview of the upcoming Playoff Games, along ...
News
The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027
Ben Boland
The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...
