REZ: "THREAT hasn't really come into the team yet; he will do more in the future"

We spoke to every one of the BLAST Pro Series Global Final teams on the media day, and first up is an interview with Fredrik "⁠REZ⁠" Sterner about things like Björn "⁠THREAT⁠" Pers's addition and Ninjas in Pyjamas's 2019.

The 21-year-old clarified the situation with THREAT, who was added to the team as an assistant/tactical coach back in October but has yet to fully assume his new role, REZ revealed.

REZ needs more time to work on the role he took after GeT_RiGhT

As we're coming to the end of 2019, the Swede also looked back at the last year from Ninjas in Pyjamas's point of view, their many changes and his shift to Christopher "⁠GeT_RiGhT⁠" Alesund's old role, before discussing the team's upcoming campaign at the BLAST Pro Series Global Final.

First of all, can you tell me about the addition of THREAT and what the role of a tactical coach implies? What exactly is he doing? Is he involved on a day-to-day basis?

THREAT was a great addition, but he hasn't really come into the team role yet, he has yet to join us. I think in the near future he will be more attendant, come to tournaments — maybe, I don't know for sure yet. Right now he's mostly talking to us and helping us after tournaments, going through our mistakes and pretty much analyze rounds we did wrong. He focuses more on us and pita focuses more on the opponents. He has done great work so far, but, like I said, he hasn't been in the team much recently, he's planned to do more in the future.

2019 was tough for the most part. I wanted more this year, same as in 2018, I really, really want to win a tournament. It's been so long now and I really miss the feeling. Fredrik "⁠REZ⁠" Sterner

We're coming on to the end of the year and that gives us a chance to look back at 2019 as a whole and what kind of year NiP has had. How do you look at the past year?

2019 was tough for the most part, I would say. I wanted more this year, same as in 2018, I really, really want to win a tournament. It's been so long now and I really miss the feeling. We also switched players a lot and we don't really get enough time together to work in a good core because we switched around and it's really unfortunate for us. I think we need to spend a lot of time and practice together, not have these changes, because it forces us to start over on page one, so it's really saddening.

But, in the end, I think we're showing progress with all the new players we get. Plopski and twist, they're doing really well, and I think we can do really well in the future if we can stay together. We made a lot of progress, we went to finals, but we didn't really execute the way we wanted to, there was always something, a mistake that forced us to go back and work on it really hard. We are like one step away from winning a tournament, but it's a long step.

As someone who has been with NiP the longest outside of f0rest, from back when you joined in 2017 to now, has the team's identity changed a lot?

The identity is really different and the whole atmosphere is different. All these players we have had, they are so different in personalities, so there is a lot of change going on in that sense, as well. GeT_RiGhT and dennis, two completely different people, as well as twist and Plopski who came in, they're young, so it's different. But it's positive that we got these young guys coming in because I remember when I joined I had this hunger I had never had before and I can see that in Plopski and twist, as well. It's something the team really needs.

I took GeT_RiGhT's role for the team because I think Plopski, f0rest, as well as twist need space, so I think I'm the one who was supposed to take the role. I fit in it the best of all of us, but I just need time to work on it. Fredrik "⁠REZ⁠" Sterner

What about 2019 from a personal point of view? You started the year well but these last six months or so have looked rough for you. What has been going on with you around these role changes?

Yeah, roles have been switched a lot since Plopski and twist came in because someone had to take this role that GeT_RiGhT had when he left and I was forced to take it. Or not forced, I would say I took it for the team because I think Plopski needs the space he needs, f0rest needs the space he needs, as well as twist, so I think I'm the one who was supposed to take the role. I fit in it the best of all of us, but I just need time to work on it. I'm really new into playing like that, but I'm willing to do the work for the team.

BLASTs have gone pretty well for you in the past, as proven by the fact that you've made it to the Global Final, but this time it will be a different tournament with the format changing. How do you see your chances going up against FaZe, Liquid, and Astralis?

We can definitely go far here. It's only three teams and we have beaten them all before. Just recently we beat Astralis and Liquid in a BLAST before, so I think we have a really good chance. It's not impossible. People will see us as underdogs, but we don't really look at it that way, we know we can win and we'll do our best to win.

Björn 'THREAT' Pers Age: 31 Team: No team Rating 1.0: 0.80 Maps played: 50 KPR: 0.53 DPR: 0.67 Christopher 'GeT_RiGhT' Alesund Age: 29 Team: No team Rating 1.0: 1.10 Maps played: 1612 KPR: 0.75 DPR: 0.64 Fredrik 'REZ' Sterner Age: 21 Team: Ninjas in Pyjamas Rating 1.0: 1.03 Maps played: 897 KPR: 0.70 DPR: 0.66 Ninjas in Pyjamas #10 Fredrik 'REZ' SternerPatrik 'f0rest' LindbergSimon 'twist' EliassonJonas 'Lekr0' OlofssonNicolas 'Plopski' Gonzalez Zamora