NIP replace Virtus.pro and draw Falcons at Thunderpick World Championship. Ninjas in Pyjamas have been added to the Thunderpick World Championship 2026 following the withdrawal of Virtus.pro. The late roster change gives NIP a place at the $1 million Counter-Strike 2 event in Malta, where they will immediately face one of the strongest teams in the field. Falcons await them in the opening round on October 14. Virtus.pro withdraw before Malta event. Virtus.pro had originally qualified for the Thunderpick World Championship through the Closed Qualifier. The team will now miss the event because of two separate player issues. According to the tournament announcement, Aleksandr "AquaRS" Kovalev is dealing with visa problems, while Dias "F0R3VER" Kutubay has temporarily stepped away from the active lineup for health reasons. That left Virtus.pro unable to compete with its planned roster. The key changes are: * Virtus.pro withdraw from the Thunderpick World Championship * Ninjas in Pyjamas take their place * NIP enter Group A alongside Falcons, 9z and Aurora * Falcons vs NIP becomes one of the opening matches The replacement follows the tournament's rules for late withdrawals. Why NIP got the slot. Virtus.pro's exit happened less than 20 days before the start of the event. Under the Thunderpick World Championship rules, that changes how a replacement is selected. Instead of simply moving to the next globally eligible team, the replacement comes from the next eligible squad in the Valve Regional Standings from the host region. Because the LAN takes place in Malta, Europe is the relevant region. NIP were the next eligible European team to accept the invitation. That gives Ninjas in Pyjamas a valuable late opportunity at a $1 million LAN just days before the tournament begins. The current NIP lineup includes stavn, sjuush, Krimbo, adamb and xKacpersky, with Xizt coaching the team. Falcons get NIP in opening match. NIP do not receive an easy introduction to the tournament. Falcons are the highest-seeded team in attendance and will face them in their first match. The opening schedule for October 14 is: * 9z vs Aurora * Falcons vs Ninjas in Pyjamas * Legacy vs PARIVISION * FURIA vs BETBOOM Falcons enter the event with a roster featuring karrigan, NiKo, TeSeS, m0NESY and kyousuke. That makes the matchup a difficult first test for a NIP team entering the field as a late replacement. Eight teams compete in Malta. The Thunderpick World Championship features eight teams divided into two groups. Group A contains Falcons, NIP, 9z and Aurora. Group B features FURIA, BETBOOM, Legacy and PARIVISION. | Group A | Group B | | Falcons | FURIA | | NIP | BETBOOM | | 9z | Legacy | | Aurora | PARIVISION | Both groups use a GSL-style double-elimination format. All group-stage matches are best-of-three series. The top two teams from each group advance to the playoffs, leaving four teams in contention for the title. Single-Elimination playoffs raise the stakes. Once the tournament reaches the playoffs, there is no lower bracket. The four qualified teams enter a single-elimination bracket. The semifinals remain best-of-three, while the Grand Final switches to a best-of-five. There is also a third-place decider. That format places significant pressure on the group stage, because teams first need to survive the double-elimination section before facing a much less forgiving playoff bracket. $1 million prize pool. The Thunderpick World Championship 2026 carries a total prize pool of $1 million. The winner receives $250,000, while the runner-up earns $125,000. Third place is worth $50,000 and fourth earns $25,000. Teams finishing fifth or sixth receive $15,000, while seventh and eighth receive $10,000. The tournament runs from October 14 through October 18 at the BLAST Arena studio in Malta. FURIA arrive as defending champions after winning the previous edition. Major qualification adds extra importance. The event also arrives during an important period in the Counter-Strike calendar. The Thunderpick World Championship is one of the final opportunities for teams to improve their Valve Regional Standings before the invite cutoff for the PGL Major Singapore 2026. That makes every result relevant beyond the immediate prize money. For teams such as NIP, BETBOOM, PARIVISION and 9z, strong results could have consequences for invitations to future events. The late NIP replacement therefore carries more significance than simply filling an empty tournament slot. Assessment. Virtus.pro's withdrawal is a setback for a team that had earned its place through qualification. For NIP, however, the situation creates an unexpected opportunity. They enter a strong field without having gone through the same qualification route, but their first match against Falcons leaves little room for a slow start. The wider tournament remains highly competitive. Falcons and FURIA headline the field, while Aurora, Legacy and PARIVISION have all shown they can challenge high-level opposition. If NIP want to turn their late invitation into a deep run, they will need to adapt quickly. Their Thunderpick World Championship campaign begins immediately against the highest-seeded team at the event. John Parker

NIP replace Virtus.pro at Thunderpick World Championship 2026. 1K views 2 mins read Ninjas in Pyjamas will play at the Thunderpick World Championship after Virtus.pro withdrew from the event. The organizer has also revealed the opening matchups for the $1,000,000 tournament, which runs from October 14-18. This is interesting for two reasons. First, NIP receive a late call-up and will face Falcons, the highest-seeded team, in their very first match. Second, the group stage already promises strong games, with a returning player and a busy FURIA schedule adding extra storylines. Why Virtus.pro left the event. Virtus.pro had earned their place through the Closed Qualifier. However, two issues forced the team to pull out. Aleksandr "AquaRS" Kovalev ran into visa problems. In addition, Dias "F0R3VER" Kutubay had health reasons that led him to step back from the active lineup for now. How NIP got the spot. Thunderpick's rulebook explains how replacements work. Normally, the next eligible team in the VRS that accepts an invite takes the empty slot. In this case, though, the withdrawal came within 20 days of the event's start. Therefore, the replacement had to come from the next eligible team in the host region, which is Europe. As a result, Ninjas in Pyjamas replace Virtus.pro. Format and opening matches. The tournament takes place in Malta. Two best-of-three GSL groups will send four teams through to a single-elimination playoffs bracket. The bracket ends with a third-place decider and a best-of-five grand final. Falcons open their run against Ninjas in Pyjamas. Their group also includes 9z and Aurora. In Group B, Legacy meet PARIVISION, while FURIA start their event against BETBOOM. The opening matchups are: * 9z vs Aurora - 10:30 CEST * Falcons vs NIP - 13:00 CEST * Legacy vs PARIVISION - 15:30 CEST * FURIA vs BetBoom Team - 18:00 CEST What to expect next. According to Thunderpick's announcement, the World Championship now has its final field and its first matches. NIP step in on short notice and immediately face the top seed, Falcons. Finally, with Legacy against PARIVISION and FURIA against BETBOOM also on the opening schedule, the group stage in Malta starts with several matches worth watching.