Q: How do you feel about joining NIP?
sjuush: I'm feeling good. We tried a few times, but now it’s the right moment. I feel like it’s a big step. It’s a big organization with many people behind it. Also, a big office with a lot of people. It’s bigger than Heroic, at least.
Q: You already know quite a few of the people here, like Xizt, Troels, and others. How does it feel to work with them again?
sjuush: It feels good. That was actually one of the things that made me come here. I know the staff behind the team is really good, and I trust how they think about building a team. That made it easier for me to say yes, even though I didn’t know the full lineup at the time. I just knew I wanted to build something strong with these guys from scratch.
Q: How do you feel about the lineup?
sjuush: I feel good. We have two young Portuguese guys who haven’t played in an English-speaking team before, but they’re really skilled and have huge potential. Snappi is a great IGL who can help bring them up, and r1nkle is a really, really strong AWPer. Me and Snappi can help guide them and speed up their growth.
Q: NIP is now more Danish than Swedish. How do you feel about working with Snappi and Troels?
sjuush: I always liked talking to Troels and working with him. He’s easy to talk to if you have anything on your mind. Snappi, I didn’t know as well before, but I’d only heard good things about him. We’ve only been playing for about a week, but I like how he thinks. I feel like I can chime in and give my perspective on things, and he actually listens. It’s a good back-and-forth.
Q: You and Snappi are two of the most experienced players on this team. How do you feel about starting from zero points and having to grind online tournaments again?
sjuush: At first, it was tough to accept. Everything happened so fast, and I wasn’t ready for it. Mentally, it was hard to go from tier-one events to starting from scratch, playing smaller tournaments. But I also try to see the positives — less travel means more time to focus on building something great. I feel like I can actually build something long-term here.
Q: Talking about Heroic now, that must have been a tough goodbye. How was that process for you?
sjuush: It was really hard. I liked everyone there — the management, the social media team, even people you don’t see every day but still talk to sometimes. It felt like a family. So it was weird that everything ended so fast.
Q: What are you looking to bring to these younger players?
sjuush: Confidence, mostly. Also a different way of thinking inside the game. I’ve played in both full-Danish and international teams, and that experience helps me understand different perspectives. In an English-speaking team, you have to accept different backgrounds and habits, but you can also help each other grow by seeing things from a new angle.
Q: And what about your personal role in the roster?
sjuush: I just want to help build something strong from scratch. I believe in Xizt and Marco, and I think we can help the younger guys improve fast. In Heroic, we were used to playing a very proactive style, and I want to bring that here — reading the game quickly and making fast decisions.
How do you feel going into 2025 now that everyone has a full year of CS2 experience?
sjuush: It’s interesting. The game feels more skill-based now — more about aim and movement. There’s still a tactical side, of course, but you have to be able to adapt, take risks, and not be afraid to make plays. If you’re scared of taking chances, CS probably isn’t for you.
Q: You’ll be playing with r1nkle now. He’s known for being loud — have you noticed that when playing against him?
sjuush: Honestly, I don’t really notice when people scream — except maybe Apeks and Cadian. (laughs) You can hear it if you focus on it, but I just don’t care about the other team. I only focus on my own team, and when I’m in a match, I don’t really talk to opponents at all.
Q: Your team made a deeper run in Shanghai than NIP did. How do you feel about how that tournament went?
sjuush: It was a great run, but tough in some ways. We were away for so long, and the time zone difference made it really hard to stay in touch with my girlfriend—maybe we talked once the whole month. But making playoffs was a great experience, and the Chinese fans were crazy. They’d even recognize us at breakfast, which was kind of surreal.
Q: If 2025 goes perfectly, what does that look like for you?
sjuush: If I compare it to last year, 2024 was really unstable. We had visa issues and a lot of distractions. This year, we’ll have more stability, which will help us improve faster. In NIP, the whole staff travels with you to every tournament — mental coaches, assistant coaches, everything. In Heroic, we didn’t have that. So it’s a much more stable environment where you can just focus on CS. That structure will help us a lot.
Q: What are your personal goals, both as a player and as part of this team?
sjuush: Honestly, I don’t even know yet, because I don’t know what tournaments we’ll be playing. But I want to build something good. I want a strong, stress-free environment where everyone can focus and be themselves. I also want to start reading more. I’ve never really read before, but I want to get into psychology books to gain new perspectives.
Q: That’s really interesting. Where does your name “Sjuush” come from?
sjuush: I don’t even know! (laughs)
When I was younger, I played World of Warcraft and just typed random letters to make a name. My first name was actually "Enand," but someone pointed out years later that it looked like “One Duck.” I had no idea. Then I did the same thing when I made my Counter-Strike account—just mashed my keyboard.
Q: So no deep meaning behind it?
sjuush: Not really. But there is a Danish drinking song called “S.J.U.U.S.” that people think my name comes from. But that's not actually the reason.
As sjuush embarks on this new journey with NIP, his steady mindset and experience will be key in shaping the team’s identity. With a mix of young talent and veteran leadership, the Danish rifler is ready to help build something lasting. With his calm presence and sharp instincts, he’s set to make a big impact, both in and out of the server.
