Esports organization Ninjas in Pyjamas announced a complete rebrand on January 25, replacing its longstanding black, gold, and white shuriken with a symbol that takes its shape from “ancient Japanese emblems and Katakana,” according to an official press release from the organization.
In a statement on the rebrand, Ninjas in Pyjamas CEO Hicham Chahine stressed the importance of widening the organization’s ability to connect with its audience. “Ninjas fight as one, we have discipline, we stay calm and we inspire. A ninja can be everyone and we feel it’s important to create a story that anyone can connect with,” Chahine said.
The new logo has been in the works for over a year and comes alongside a complete overhaul of NiP merchandise all emblazoned with NiP’s new color scheme of neon, yellow, and black. William Bul, Ninjas in Pyjamas brand manager and the man behind NiP’s move to the new brand, explained that the new logo is both an evolution and an overhaul of NiP’s traditional logo.
“Inside of the new Shuriken is the old Japanese word Nin, which is the beginning of Ninja and means ‘to apply ego and heart to the edge of the sword.’ We believe that intricate details like these are crucial to showcase and supply our fans with,” explained Bu.
The rebrand comes just a year after NiP said goodbye to several of its long-time Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players. Their release seemed to be a turning point inside the Ninjas organization.
We are Ninjas in Pyjamas. This is our time.#GONINJAS pic.twitter.com/zmqnSGaVUW
— Ninjas in Pyjamas (@NIPGaming) January 25, 2021
What happened to NiP CSGO?
Following three years of CSGO dominance, NiP suffered a general decline from 2016 onward. Although the team remained a factor in international tournaments, it suffered from poor results after its 2017 IEM Oakland win. The organization tried to recreate another version of its famous Swedish roster around enduring stars Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg and Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund, but no combination of players reignited the original NiP spark.
In 2019, GeT_RiGhT was benched from NiP’s active roster. In 2020, f0rest and GeT_RiGhT reunited by signing with DIGNITAS. While Ninjas in Pyjamas has performed better in the time since, the organization is still trying to return to its previous form.
