Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) is a Swedish esports organization founded in 2000, best known for its Counter-Strike teams. The club’s visual identity centers on a shuriken, the throwing star associated with ninjas, which has appeared in various forms throughout the organization’s history. In January 2021, NIP underwent a complete rebrand, its first full team rebrand since the organization’s founding, replacing the long-standing black, white, and gold color scheme with a new neon yellow, black, and grey palette. [1]
Design and History
The 2021 rebrand marked the fourth logo in the organization’s 21-year history. [2] The previous logo, a gold shuriken with curved edges and sharp points, had remained largely unchanged for years. According to Sunny Bonnell, whose branding agency Motto led the redesign, the old mark presented technical problems, including a lack of contrast between its black and brown tones that made it difficult to scale across different platforms and mediums. [3]
The new logo, created by New York-based agency Motto over more than a year of work, maintains the shuriken concept but streamlines it with cleaner, sharper edges. [3] The shuriken is set on its side to suggest motion, as if being thrown. [3] The redesign was led by Motto founders Sunny Bonnell and Ashleigh Hansberger, who aimed to give NIP a “crystal clear identity and powerful voice.” [1]
The rebrand generated significant backlash from fans when it was unveiled in January 2021, with some critics calling it “the worst rebrand in esports history.” [4] Bonnell acknowledged the negative reaction but predicted the design would eventually be accepted, saying, “First they’ll be ridiculed, then they’ll be revered.” [3]
In October 2025, ahead of the StarLadder Budapest Major, NIP announced it would temporarily bring back its original logo for the Counter-Strike 2 tournament. The organization later confirmed that tournament regulations required it to submit its current primary logo instead, meaning the classic mark would not appear on the event’s in-game stickers. [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2021 logo incorporates a stylized version of the Japanese character “nin” inside the shuriken. [3] According to NIP’s Brand Director William Bul, “nin” is the beginning of the word ninja and means “applying the heart and ego to the edge of the sword.” [6] The design draws inspiration from katakana and traditional Japanese emblems. [1]
The new color scheme was inspired by the streets of Tokyo, drawing from elements such as Tokyo drifters and noren, the traditional Japanese fabric dividers. [6] The official brand palette consists of neon yellow, black, grey, and white. [2] The organization’s official brand colors are listed as Neon Yellow (#D8FF00), Black (#000000), Grey (#97999B), and White (#FFFFFF). [7]
Typography and Design
As part of the 2021 rebrand, Motto developed a new typeface and art style inspired by katakana and traditional Japanese emblems, intended to convey the “ambition and audacity” of the organization. [1] The rebrand also included new jerseys and a full visual identity system. [8]
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