Ninjas in Pajamas merged with ESV5

The Swedish esports organization Ninjas in Pajamas (NiP) has announced a merger with the Chinese esports brand ESV5, creating the "NIP Group" in the process.

As a result of the merger, Ninjas in Pajamas will return to League of Legends, joining the Chinese franchise league Riot Games, LPL. According to the press release, the same procedure will be applied to the mobile discipline League of Legends: Wild Rift.

ESV5 is a joint venture between two Chinese esports organizations, eStar Gaming and Victory Five.

Since its founding in 2000, Ninjas in Pajamas has fielded squads across multiple disciplines, including VALORANT, Rainbow Six: Siege and FIFA. However, the organization is largely known for its victorious CS: GO team. Moreover, Ninjas in Pajamas was introduced to the European League of Legends between 2013 and 2018.

The merger will affect the Victory Five, which will now stand under the banner of Ninjas in Pajamas for the 2022 season. The Chinese League of Legends team completed the 2021 LPL Summer Split with a 0-16 record.

Ninjas in Pajamas also noted on their website that the merger is "more than anything they've ever done" and that the ultimate goal is to become a "truly global esports organization."

Along with the announcement of a possible merger in July, Reuters said that there is a possibility that the new company will be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.