stavn on the sniper role: “Overall, it’s been a dream of mine for a long time, right from the start.”
Ninjas in Pyjamas sniper Martin “stavn” Lund and Rafael “saffee” Costa of paiN Gaming shared their thoughts in an interview at BLAST Bounty Summer 2026.
stavn listed the factors that will help Ninjas in Pyjamas beat paiN Gaming:
If we beat paiN Gaming, it will be because we fight hard, don’t tilt, and—hopefully—win the anti-eco—which has been our recent problem. If we do all that, we have a good chance of winning today.
In addition, Martin spoke about his long-held dream of becoming a sniper:
Overall, it’s been a dream of mine for a long time, right from the start. I used to play with my older brother, who also played as a sniper. I often served as the second sniper on my first team, as well as at HEROIC.
Lund also described the process of adapting to his new team:
I’m not sure I’ve run into any difficulties yet. I’d say not right now, but at the beginning, if I missed a shot with the sniper rifle, I’d think to myself that I’d be better off playing with an AK-47. ...> It can be tough when you miss shots you absolutely shouldn’t miss. I mean, it’s a mental hurdle.
For his part, Rafael “saffee” Costa assessed his team’s current form:
We got off to a good start in the IEM Atlanta 2026 playoffs, but then things didn’t go as well at the Major. I’d say, overall, our performance was average—it could have been better. ...> We’ve had some form issues in the past. Right now we’re at boot camp, where we’re working on a lot of things and getting better every day.
Right now, Ninjas in Pyjamas and paiN Gaming are facing off in a match as part of the online stage of BLAST Bounty Summer 2026. At the moment, the map score favors the latter team. The losing team will be eliminated from the tournament, while the winner will advance to the main stage of the event.
Photo by João Ferreira.
