With the recruitment of three female players for the VCT Game Changers, Riot Games’ official competitive circuit for underrepresented genders, Paige “Padge” Thomas, ykü “OYKU” Büyük, and Nelly “Raina” Sosobrado, Ninjas in Pyjamas has made a triumphant return to the EMEA region.
The announcement was well-received in the community as people were happy to see a famous esports organization like NiP commit to the Game Changers scene. NiP has been investing in VALORANT since 2020, but never had a roster that didn’t consist of male players. NiP didn’t have a VALORANT team since September 2021, after it allowed the male players to seek other opportunities after it missed the franchising program for 2023.
Raina, OYKU, and Padge are all old acquaintances, having played together under Rix.GG Lightning throughout 2022. Together, they finished 5th-6th in Game Changers EMEA: Series III in October alongside Acend Rising, and behind TENSTAR Nova, Natus Vincere Celestians, G2 Gozen, and Guild X.
“New chapter, y’all better be ready for us we are coming for that trophy,” Raina said after joining NiP alongside OYKU and Padge. The remainder of NiP’s Game Changer lineup is unknown at this moment. The organization will reveal the last two pieces of the roster at a later date.
The VALORANT Gamer Changers EMEA circuit will be a lot different in 2023 as Riot has divided the scene into four tiers: VCT Game Changers EMEA: Academy and VCT Game Changers EMEA: Emergents, VCT Game Changers Contenders, VCT Game Changers EMEA, and Game Changers Championship, aiming to provide a better path to professional play.