Welcome to all esports and Counter-Strike 2 fans! From January 28 to February 8, 2026, one of the biggest tournaments of the winter part of the season, IEM Krakow 2026, will take place. The tournament will feature 24 teams competing for the championship title and a $1 million prize pool. Among the Lower Bracket Round 1 matches, we highlight Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Passion UA, which promises to be an exciting one. While the teams prepare, we’ll share our CS2 betting tips and insights on this match.
How the bookies view it: Ninjas in Pyjamas favorite
Most bookmakers consider Ninjas in Pyjamas the favorites in the match against Passion UA at IEM Krakow 2026, with odds of 1.7 versus 2.03. Although the team did not look very convincing in their first match of the tournament, they still have fairly good chances of advancing to the Group Stage.
Ninjas in Pyjamas form. What result can be expected from Ninjas in Pyjamas
Our betting prediction and CS2 picks begin with an analysis of Ninjas in Pyjamas form. The team is one of the most well-known in Counter-Strike and has achieved many victories at the highest-level tournaments.
NiP roster: r1nkle, sjuush, xKacpersky, Snappi, cairne.
In the 2025 season, NiP participated in a large number of various qualification tournaments. Only one of them ended in victory — PGL Astana 2025: European Qualifiers.
At PGL Astana 2025, NiP performed at a decent level. In the Group Stage, the team finished with a 3-2 record, but in the playoffs they lost their first match and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in 5th–8th place. This was the best result for the Swedish club over the last five months of the 2025 season.
Ninjas in Pyjamas performed quite well at C- and B-tier tournaments. The team won Fragadelphia x LVL UP EXPO 2025, finished 3rd–4th at The Proving Grounds Season 1, and placed second at CCT Season 3 European Series #3.
The next S-tier tournament for the team was Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025. In the Play-In stage, Ninjas in Pyjamas defeated HEROIC and 3DMAX and qualified for the Group Stage. At this stage of the tournament, NiP reached the Lower Bracket Semifinal, where they lost to NAVI and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in 9th–12th place.
A successful tournament for NiP was StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025. The team started with confident 2-0 victories over OG and PV, but lost to NAVI in the Upper Bracket Final and dropped to the lower bracket. In the Lower Bracket Final, NiP defeated B8 and advanced to the grand final, where they lost to NAVI, becoming the silver medalists of the tournament.
At PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, Ninjas in Pyjamas performed below expectations. In the Group Stage, the team finished with a 0-3 record and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in the top 16.
NiP also competed at one of the main tournaments of the year, the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. The team started from Stage 1, where they secured three wins and one loss, advancing to Stage 2. In this stage of the tournament, NiP started very well, earning two victories, but then suffered three losses and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in 17th–19th place.
At BLAST Bounty Winter 2026: Closed Qualifier, NiP performed poorly, finishing in the top 32.
Passion UA form. What result can be expected from Passion UA
We continue our CS2 tips with analyzing Passion UA form. The team was formed in 2023 and immediately reached the B and C-tier level. For several seasons, the team has remained at this level and occasionally competes in S-tier tournaments.
Passion UA roster: Kvem, JT, Grim, hallzerk, nicx.
In the 2025 season, Passion UA started with a large number of qualifiers and lower-tier tournaments, but without significant success.
Passion UA played at CCT Season 2 European Series #17, #18, and #19, finishing in the top 8 in all of them.
At YaLLa Compass Winter 2025, Passion UA finished in 3rd–4th place.
Passion UA also took part in Galaxy Battle 2025 // Phase 1. In the playoffs, the team defeated 9INE, NAVI Junior, and Team Next Level, becoming tournament champions.
This was followed by a series of appearances at lower-tier tournaments without significant success.
The team also finished 2nd at the Rainbet Cup and YaLLa Compass Spring 2025.
At CCT Season 3 European Series #2, Passion UA also performed at a fairly good level, finishing in 3rd–4th place.
The team continued their successful run by winning Glitched Masters 2025, where they defeated Fnatic in the playoffs.
Passion UA also competed at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025. In the upper bracket quarterfinal, the team defeated Gentle Mates, but in the upper bracket semifinal they lost to NAVI and dropped to the lower bracket. In the lower bracket quarterfinal, Passion UA faced another Ukrainian team, B8, and after a loss were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in 5th–6th place.
At DraculaN Season 2, Passion UA finished in 2nd place, and at DraculaN Season 3 they finished in 3rd place.
At BLAST Rivals Fall 2025, they performed at the expected level. In the Group Stage, the team finished with a 1–1 record, and in the playoffs they lost their first match and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in the top 6.
Passion UA also played at one of the main tournaments of the year, StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, where they surprised everyone. The team started in Stage 2, finishing with a 3–2 record and advancing to Stage 3. In this stage of the tournament, Passion UA started with two losses, then won the next two matches, but lost the decisive match for a playoff spot and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in the top 11.
At BLAST Bounty Winter 2026: Closed Qualifier, Passion UA performed below the expected level, finishing in the top 32.
Recent head to head
Ninjas in Pyjamas and Passion UA have played each other twice, with each team securing one victory. The match at IEM Krakow 2026 is crucial, as the losing team will be eliminated from the tournament.
Players to watch: Snappi and JT
Among the players on both teams, we highlight Snappi (Ninjas in Pyjamas) and JT (Passion UA). Both players demonstrate a high level of gameplay and strong statistics, making a significant contribution to their teams victories.
Which maps does Ninjas in Pyjamas pick and ban most often?
Let’s analyze both teams map statistics to make smart CS2 picks.
Strong maps
- Mirage: high win percentage (66.7%) with 3 matches played.
- Overpass: high win percentage (66.7%) with 3 matches played.
- Ancient: high win percentage (60.0%) with 5 matches played.
Average results
- Nuke: average winning percentage (57.1%) with 7 matches played.
- Dust2: average winning percentage (50.0%) with 2 matches played.
Weak maps
- Inferno: low win percentage (0.0%) with 1 matches played.
Which maps does Passion UA pick and ban most often?
Strong maps
- Inferno: high win percentage (66.7%) with 9 matches played.
Average results
- Overpass: average winning percentage (50.0%) with 6 matches played.
- Dust2: average winning percentage (40.0%) with 5 matches played.
Weak maps
- Nuke: low win percentage (33.3%) with 3 matches played.
- Mirage: low win percentage (22.2%) with 9 matches played.
Predicted result of the match between Ninjas in Pyjamas and Passion UA at IEM Krakow 2026
Most analysts consider Ninjas in Pyjamas the favorites in the match against Passion UA in the Lower Bracket Round 1 Play-In at IEM Krakow 2026. In the previous season, the team performed slightly better than their opponent. However, in the first matches of this tournament, Passion UA demonstrated a higher level of play. In our opinion, in a close match, Passion UA will come out on top. Which team are you rooting for?
Betting prediction: Passion UA wins.
