"We pushed it far beyond what we thought was possible" - f0rest on Ninjas in Pyjamas' legendary streak in Counter-Strike [Exclusive]

Patrik "f0rest" Lindberg is a name that is synonymous with Ninjas in Pyjamas' legendary 87-0 win streak. A key member of the squad that created this impossible streak, f0rest was a master rifler and a formidable AWPer. With teammates like GeT_RiGhT, Fifflaren, Xizt, and Friberg, he rose to whatever occasion the team needed him to. His consistent performance at the top level of play also earned him a spot at the HLTV Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy in competitive gaming forever.

I had the chance to interview f0rest, the brand ambassador of Ninjas in Pyjamas, as the organization celebrates their silver jubilee in June 2025. While NiP's legacy was started by Potti and others, it was f0rest and the team that took this organization to its most dominating phase.

Keep reading to find out what f0rest had to say, and how his aggressive and "best in the world" mindset allowed him to overpower others in competitive matches.

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f0rest talks about how the team's mindset pushed Ninjas in Pyjamas' streak far beyond what they thought was possible

Q: Looking back at your incredible career, what moment stands out as a significant highlight, one that holds a special place in your heart personally?

f0rest: I think winning the major with NiP stands out as one of the bigger achievements, 100%. I mean, we were in five major finals. There were times where I would not be able to sleep if we did not win at least one major. So, I'm so glad that we did win Cologne after like two attempts.

So that one stands out, and obviously the first one in my career, WEG 2005, the whole tournament that kickstarted my whole career, that made me do the leap of faith within the world of Counter-Strike. So that was, like, the two that I always keep coming back to when I look back at career-defining moments.

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Q: Congratulations on your HLTV Hall of Fame induction. It was a joy for me to see this happen, as a fan. You and GeT_RiGhT took the mantle and reached a height that is still considered pinnacle. Starting off back then, what was one goal you had in mind, something that you could not compromise on?

f0rest: Winning tournaments, for sure. I could never be satisfied if people were just contempt of being a good team, or a decent team, or a top 10 team, or whatever. I never wanted to compromise on winning tournaments. I wanted to be the best, and I wanted to play in the best team, with the best teammates.

The best at everything, basically. That was my minimum, absolutely minimum standards when it came to playing in a team. And if players or somebody else did not share the same visions as me, then our journey was not meant to be basically. So, that is something I would not compromise on.

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Q: I remember watching your matches and you were a very aggressive player. How did you incorporate that mentality when you're playing a game where not everybody is up to the same levels of aggression?

f0rest: I don't really think about that a lot actually (laughs). Basically what I think is that I'm better than you. When I enter the server, that's my thought process. That's what it used to be at least. I would join in, and I would say, "Hey, I'm the best player on this server. It doesn't matter what you guys do, I will beat you." That's the mentality I had, and I did whatever felt right there in the moment.

Yeah, sure, not every game did go according to plan, or 100% my way, or whatever. But that mentality is what I used to think in each and every single game, and it also contributed to a lot of tasty and juicy plays, and also game-defining moments, winning plays, and all of that. But it's a backup system as well with your teammates supporting you.

It's not a one-man army type of deal. But yeah, I like to show my skill to my opponent. I like to style on them a little bit. So yeah, I was very aggressive and I enjoyed it.

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Q: Ninjas in Pyjamas has been my favorite team, and I have seen most of the 87-match win streak with my own eyes as a kid. That win streak is the stuff of the legends. Can you take us back to that period? What was the atmosphere within the team during that time?

f0rest: I mean, it's quite rough, to be honest. Like, when we start out, obviously, as I said earlier, I come into every single team, and everything I do when it comes to eSport or gaming, is so that I can be the best. When we started up NiP, there was no difference. From 1.6 to GO, I had the same goal, the same mindset - I wanted to be the best. And the guys, GeT_RiGhT, Xizt, Friberg, Fifflaren, all agreed.

They also know that they can and want to win everything. And we kinda just started playing, right? Everything clicked, everything worked out. And eventually, you grab a few wins. "Hey, that's cool." You start grabbing a few more. "Hey, that's... Hey, we're pretty goddamn good. This is exactly what I want." But when you're up at like 40-0, like maps won on LAN, it gets a little bit taxing. You try not to think about it. At this point, like even if you're 30-0, 40-0, 60-0, or whatever - it doesn't really matter.

At some point, you just cannot think about it anymore.You just keep doing what you have been doing, keep working hard, keep pushing. We all, we all knew at some point it would end, right? But just, when? When will it end? I think we pushed it far beyond what we thought was possible. Like, not losing a single map 87 maps in a row. It sounds absolutely crazy when you, when you think about it, 87 maps in a row on LAN.

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Q: How did you and Ninjas in Pyjamas handle the eventual end of the 87-0 streak?

f0rest: We lost to Virtus Pro, I think, and it was a team with Dosia and Fox and everybody else at that time. When we lost that map, I think we were just relieved. I stood up and I applauded the team and said like, "Even though we lost this map, holy sh*t, did we accomplish something short of greatness!" Like, that is absolutely incredible. As I said, we kind of just stopped thinking about it, kept doing what we were doing and, yeah, ended up as a great record that we were very proud of.

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Q: Do you think such a long win streak is possible in today’s competitive gaming scene?

f0rest: My gut is telling me no. I don't think we will see anything like it again in eSports.

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Q: Valorant has been out for a while and quite similar to Counter-Strike in terms of core mechanics. What are your views on it?

f0rest: I have no real opinion when it comes to Valorant. I think it's great that we have another tactical shooter that is side by side with Counter-Strike. Obviously Counter-Strike is not for everybody. Millions of people love playing Counter-Strike, but it's not for everybody. And I think Valorant fills a void for people who are into tactical shooters, but also more into abilities. Kind of flirting a little bit with the Overwatch take of abilities and usage.

I tried it, and it was not for me. I think it was too messy, too much going on, too much in control or…Hey, this might get viral, but I don't think the skill expression is as strong in Valorant as it is in Counter-Strike. But that is based on me playing Valorant for like 10 hours. So not really a very valid opinion.

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Q: You’ve been a constant presence at the top-most level of Counter-Strike, and you have also seen its transitions from 1.6 to CSGO and eventually to CS2 right now. The most recent change to CS2 has not been very well received by many, but I would love to hear your views on this.

f0rest: I think Counter-Strike in general is, it's looking very great. It's looking very healthy. I think Counter-Strike 2 is a great game as well. Coming from 1.6 to GO, to now CS2, I think it's definitely heading in the right direction of keeping Counter-Strike's longevity alive. Like, it's gonna stay as one of the strongest FPS games, right? But yeah, sure, CS2 has its problems, GO had its problems, and even 1.6 had its problems. At its basic core, it plays and runs exactly like Counter-Strike should. I still do the juicy one taps that feel crisp. I think it's a little bit of overreaction when it comes to CS2.

But I also think it's still a great game. I'm having a blast playing it. When I stopped playing 1.6 and went to GO, I stopped thinking about 1.6. I did not compare them. My journey with 1.6 was over. Now it's just a question, do I enjoy playing GO or not? Yeah, I do. I wanna play GO, I play GO. CS2 comes out, same thing. I don't think about GO anymore. Do I enjoy playing, uh, Counter-Strike 2? Yeah, I do. I will keep playing Counter-Strike 2.

That is like the bottom line of what I think when it comes to transitioning through all of these versions of Counter-Strike. And to the general public out there, I think it's also important to ask yourself if you still enjoy Counter-Strike or not. I have full trust in Valve, though, once they do notice a problem within the game, and you have a scenario where you can reproduce it, they will fix it. So hopefully, I think it's in good hands though.

This is only my take though, because Friberg does not agree with me on this standpoint. So, I mean, there's two sides. This is just my way of thinking and approaching the whole scenario.

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Q: You’ve been masterful both as a rifler and as an AWPer. I’ve had some heated debates back in the day about which role suits you the best, and it’s time we settled the score with an answer from the man himself: which weapon did you enjoy more?

f0rest: I like rifling more for sure. Like, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love playing the AWP. Uh, that's why I play it so often as well. I'm very comfortable with both. I used to be a main AWPer when I began my journey in Counter-Strike. But I do enjoy rifling more.

I think the potential for more multi-kills, the one-taps with the AK, the spray downs with the M4, I think it's absolutely delicious. So, I wanna stick with the rifle. I think you can be more aggressive with the rifle as well compared to the AWP, so.

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Q: Do you miss being a competitive player, and sitting there on the stage with nine other players, you know, the constant cheers from the crowds and everything?

f0rest: Oh, 100%. I mean, you describe basically what becomes like a drug to you when you're a competitive Counter-Strike player. Playing on those stages keeps you going. Playing on the stage of Katowice, for example. Playing in front of a crowd with the team you've been working hard with - just enjoy that moment. That is what is a big drive, or was a big drive for me. So yeah, I miss it.

I keep thinking about it, but that's just how it is. I've enjoyed many stages and it's definitely time for a new generation to also go up on the stage and enjoy these moments that I've had the pleasure to be in for the past 18 years or something. But yeah, it's gonna take a while for me to still come to terms with, "Hey, it's over, you know?”

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Q: Do you play any games other than Counter-Strike these days?

f0rest: I've been a gamer my whole life. That's basically who I am. So yeah, sure, I do still play games other than CS a lot. I play World of Warcraft, League of Legends. I play Auto Chess TFT. I play literally every single game more or less. I love Cyberpunk-themed single player games. I play Final Fantasy as well. You know, I just play a lot. That is what I enjoy doing, so yeah.

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Q: Lastly, I would love it if you could put in a few words for your fans, and for players who are just starting off in the competitive gaming scene.

f0rest: It's a tough question to answer. It's kind of like you want to answer about life a little bit. But I will say this though - if we're talking strictly competitive, find equally minded teammates. Find teammates that make you feel good, who want to work hard and put in the same amount of effort that you put in, and have a common goal that you're working towards.

Honestly in the beginning, you're not likely gonna get paid. You need to have fun while playing, and being happy has to be one of the key points while continuing this. If you wanna put in the hours and the grind you gotta have fun while doing it as well. Because if you're not having fun, it's gonna be absolutely messy. Your head is gonna be an absolute mess as well.

So, surround yourself with people that make you feel good and teammates that make you play better as well. That's what I did. I found good friends early in my career that I grinded it out with for many years. And we had a blast doing so. That was my journey and that is, like, literally the only advice I can do as well.

I know people wanna just go out there, you grind, you grind, you grind, you grind, but if it's just an endless cycle of just keep on grinding 12 hours a day with not a really goal in sight or you're just doing it because you think hours equals success, uh, make more use of the hours instead and make sure that you are in a good state of mind. So that’s going to be my best advice to anyone starting out right now.

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