Ninjas in Pyjamas cuts captain SoNNeikO after string of bad results

Jared Wynne Published 09/07/2020

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.

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

PTime removed from Dota 2 at EWC 26 as ESIC investigates coach and captain Michael Hassall Filipino organization PlayTime Esports has been removed from the Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 competition following an intervention by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and a ruling by the Esports Foundation and EWC. Following a postponement of the PTime vs. Vici Gaming Survival Stage matchup on July 14, ESIC announced that it was actively investigating two members of the South American-based PTime organization, Team Captain Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera and ...

Esports Betting

Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Hannan Mundia The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...

Dota 2

Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Michael Hassall A titanic 24 teams are set to compete in Dota 2 at the Esports World Cup 2025 in one of the largest events of the competitive season. These two dozen organizations are set to take over the Paris Convention Center, filling it with top-tier competitive Dota 2 action. With a $2,000,000 USD prize pool, the largest on the Dota 2 calendar, there’s everything to play for in the final major ...

Dota 2

Top Dota 2 combos to boost your MMR fast Wasif Ahmed Dota 2 is a complex and interesting game that requires skill, strategy and teamwork to be successful. Having said that, one of the best ways to improve your MMR is by learning certain Dota 2 combos that have proven themselves over time. It’s worth knowing that there are not that many Dota 2 combos that have survived the test of time because every new patch changes the game’s meta. Nevertheless, ...

Dota 2

Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Michael Hassall If you were an Axe player in Dota 2 earlier this week, you’d have found yourself out of luck when you tried to pick the stalwart Oglodi warrior, as the hero was straight up removed from the game on June 23. The hero was completely missing from All-Pick and his hero model was replaced with a missing poster. Axe couldn’t even be demoed or picked in a custom game for ...

Dota 2

Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex have defeated LGD Gaming in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII in a dramatic 3-1 series that saw both teams pushed to the limit, but ultimately Yandex come out on top. Concluding the last major tournament before teams head to the Esports World Cup and The International 2026 next month and in August, Yandex were able to counter the momentum of LGD that had brought them into ...

Dota 2

BLAST Slam VII Finals Predictions and Picks – Can LGD make it all the way? Michael Hassall LGD Gaming in the top three of a tournament!? What is this 2021? BLAST Slam VII has been one of the most surprising tournaments of the year, and has capped off the pre-EWC and TI season with some of the most thrilling gameplay we’ve seen in months. And the finals are set to be even more exciting. With just three teams left there’s a lot on the line, from the ...