Former Ninjas in Pyjamas legend Emil “HeatoN” Christensen has been announced as the first person to be inducted into the Esports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on July 10 at the ESL One Cologne Major, with current NiP captain Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund presenting Emil “HeatoN” Christensen before he is recognised. To be eligible for a place in the Hall of Fame, players must have had a career worthy of being inducted and be retired for at least a year. HeatoN is the first Esports Hall of Fame inductee Widely regarded as one of the most popular figures in the Counter-Strike scene, Christensen founded Ninjas in Pyjamas in 2001 and won several international tournaments before hanging up his mouse in 2007. In 2012, he rebuilt NiP following CS:GO’s release and helped to create that which would be the most dominant team during the game’s first year. The nomination and the voting process were conducted by a panel of experts, in which HLTV.org is represented. As of yet, Counter-Strike is the only game featured in the Hall of Fame, but in the future other titles will be included.