NIP's new IGL Krimbo opened up about the journey of taking over from Snappi, the team's current synergy status, and his thoughts on qualifying for the Singapore Major after securing a 2-0 victory over 3DMAX in his debut at the 1win Private Club.
NIP decisively defeated 3DMAX 2-0 in their first match of the 1win Private Club Season 1. Notably, 3DMAX had just won a championship two days prior and arrived with that momentum. This was also Krimbo's second offline tournament after replacing the benched Snappi. Given his previous experience only as an in-game leader in BIG's academy team, this role transition sparked considerable discussion, but the German player stated that the position felt natural to him.
Q: Krimbo, how did you feel about defeating 3DMAX in your first match?
Krimbo: This was a crucial victory. They just won the championship, and I knew they would come in with immense confidence and high morale. I'm not too clear on the current VRS rankings, who can make it to the Major, or if we have a chance—none of that matters. All we knew was that we had to do our best to win the match.
Q: Tell us about your experience joining NIP as a commander. How did it happen?
Krimbo: I'm currently on loan and haven't officially joined NIP yet—I'm still under contract with BIG. It started about two or three months ago when N0te first joined the team, and we discussed the possibility of me joining as an entry/anchor, but it didn't happen. Later, they expressed interest again but said "the situation is complicated now." Since the assistant coach is DuDe, who I worked with for two years at BIG, he asked, "Can you imagine yourself as an IGL? I know your capabilities from your time at BIG." I've always been someone who likes to voice opinions and participate in tactical planning—I even served as an IGL before joining BIG's main team. So this was kind of random, and it got decided within a day. But I just want to compete again.
Q: Had you ever envisioned becoming a conductor before? Or did you see it as a way to extend your career?
Krimbo: Of course I've considered it. I'll switch to in-game leader sooner or later, but this time it was indeed sudden. I just wanted to seize this opportunity to return to the stage. Life doesn't always go exactly as planned. You imagine how you'd play, and by the time you're twenty-five, twenty-six, or twenty-seven, twenty-eight, you naturally transition to shot-calling. But that's how things are, and I'm happy to do it.
I used to be an in-game leader, which taught me how to take on responsibility. More importantly, it gave me a macro perspective when playing main defender or lurker. You no longer just focus on your small circle and position; you develop a broader understanding of the game and think on a larger scale. I've always wanted to get more involved in tactics, and kakafu told me: "It's difficult for your current role, but we'll try our best to make it happen for you. However, if you truly want that kind of influence, sooner or later, you'll have to transition to the in-game leader role."
Q: You are taking over from Snappi, who is one of the most experienced shot-callers. What do you think you can bring to the team that Snappi couldn't, making the team stronger?
Krimbo: I have immense respect for Snappi; he has achieved great success in his career, leading teams to climb rankings during his tenures at ENCE and NIP. However, I believe the current roster plays in an overly rigid and straightforward manner, with players lacking the space to share ideas and improvise, and infrequent default map control. That's the change I can bring. NIP went through a phase of being too rigid, and we at BIG had a period where we relied too much on defaults. So I have a good understanding of "which side is overdone." The biggest difference lies in default map control and activating players in varied ways, rather than sticking to rigid tactical routines.
Q: Do you think you can enhance the team's overall firepower while serving as the commander?
Krimbo: Of course. I've played many roles throughout my career—pretty much everything. For example, when I joined, n0te was on the team, and he wasn't comfortable playing main defense, so I stepped in. Now that adamb is here and handles most of the main defense, I can play in rotations. Like mid on Cache or outside on Nuke. It's not my natural position, but I have the experience, and I enjoy playing it—staying vocal, being active in the mid-round, and providing a broader perspective for the team. I like doing that on the CT side as well. It's part of being an IGL.
Q: Adamb joined shortly after you. Did you know about this when you joined?
Krimbo: Initially, I saw the rumors, and he eventually did join. As a shotcaller, your opinions carry more weight—I'll share my thoughts, and the rest is up to NIP management and the coaching staff. I didn't get too involved. But after he joined, at the Logitech event, we only had two days of practice, which was far from enough, especially since I had only been the shotcaller for two or three weeks. All the new elements piled up, and the players still had to adapt to the new playstyle I brought. We accepted the reality: "Alright, it might be a bit chaotic right now, but that's okay—we'll grow through the chaos." Fortunately, we had a week and a half of boot camp in Warsaw, and everyone found their rhythm, making things much more comfortable now.
Q: How has the integration with Xizt as coach and the entire team been? Have you adapted yet?
Krimbo: To be honest, I felt at ease from the very first second I joined. When discussing the role of in-game leader with them, I had no doubts or fears. The responsibility is great and the challenges are many, but that's how it should be—it shouldn't be boring, and sometimes it's supposed to be difficult. When I joined, Xizt, DuDe, and I shared a similar vision, and they gave me full freedom to lead. They didn't want to impose a fixed style on me; they wanted me to develop my own approach. After meeting the players, we had excellent team chemistry, and we also have a lot of fun off the server. Right now, it’s nothing but comfortable.
Q：NIP is a very well-known name in the CS scene, and their ambitions are also quite high—at least their goal is certainly to reach the Major. Does this put pressure on you?
Krimbo: Yes, NIP is a great and large club, they deserve to be at the top. That's why we're here. Overall, winning this match, maybe we have a 10% chance. Our job is to go out, win the match, train. Performing under pressure and belonging among the strongest, that's our job.
Q: The battle for Major qualification has begun, and this tournament has a significant impact on your chances. What is your attitude towards this event?
Krimbo: As I said, we know it's far from perfect right now—we've only had a week and a half of practice. We accept that. But we're not going to say, "Well, we haven't practiced enough, so it's okay if we lose." We have to extract the best results from where we are and accept that it will be a bit messy. We don't have a deep playbook. I also don't fully understand the players yet—like how stavn prefers to handle clutch situations. We don't completely know each other yet, and we accept that, but we'll never say "it's okay to lose right now." We always aim to win, just saying, "Alright, this is the situation, and we'll do our best."