by Rainbow Six professional Julio “Julio” Giacomelli has announced his departure from the Brazilian team Ninjas in Pyjamas. The 28-year-old made the announcement via his Twitter profile.
“NIP changed my life and I just wanna thank for all this years of achievements and support. I wish the best of luck for the remaining players and I wanna thank you guys too for all the things we did and for the friendship we have. I’m a free agent at the moment looking for a team to play or coach. I wanna say thanks to the nip and all fanbases who were always very kind to me through all the years. Thank you so much! see ya.”
What was once a rumor is now official. Chatter about his departure was first brought to light by BLIX.GG’s Rafael “Rafinha” Ferriera but it was only a rumor at the time.
Rafinha reported that the organization had already started eyeing candidates who will replace Julio. The first target was reportedly w7m esports’ Diego “Kheyze” Zanello, but that deal broke down.
Subsequent reports suggested that NiP was pursuing former Golden Kids player Gustavo “Wizard” Gomes. However, there is no update on that front.
Julio joined NiP in 2018 from Black Dragons e-sports, and has been with the franchise ever since. He was one of the longest-standing members of the team.
The time Julio spent with NiP could also be considered productive, as he played a key role in the organization’s success over the years.
In 2019, Julio and NiP won the Pro League Season 10 in Latin America and secured a finals berth. Unfortunately, they were swept in the quarterfinals by Team Reciprocity.
From then on, NiP had an incredible 2020, with their worst finish in any competition being fourth. After a dominating performance in the 2020 Six Invitational, they failed to complete the job after falling 3-2 to Spacestation Gaming in the grand final.
A year later, they won the Six Invitational and went home with $1 million of the $3 million prize pool. Although Gustavo “Psycho” Rigal was named the grand final MVP, Julio’s contributions were immense.
Despite their run, Julio believes his time with the team is over and is open to getting signed as a player or coach. It is worth noting that this is the first change to the team since 2019.
Life goes on for NiP, as they will have to continue competing without Julio. The team has not had much good fortune in 2022, failing to qualify for the Copa Elite Six after a tenth-placed finish in the Brasileir?o Stage 1. They missed the Charlotte Six Major by extension.
Nonetheless, they have an opportunity to redeem themselves in Brasileir?o Stage 2. A top-four finish will guarantee them a spot in the Copa Elite Six, where another impressive performance will seal the Six August Major berth.
NiP has not missed the Six Invitational since 2019. Winning a Major will be a step in the right direction to ensure their streak continues.
