100 Thieves founder and CEO Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag has revealed that, if it were up to him, the organization would still be competing in CS:GO.
The Los Angeles-based organization pulled out of the CS:GO scene in October 2020 during a dark period for the game because of the global health crisis, which halted in-person events and saw tournaments shift to an online-only format.
At the time, Nadeshot cited the “ambiguity, vagueness and uncertainty” in the CS:GO scene as reasons for 100 Thieves to walk away from the game despite being a partner in ESL Pro League and BLAST Premier.
In an August 29 stream, Nadeshot said that, while he is “pretty happy” with the roster of games in which 100 Thieves currently compete, he would “love” to see the organization’s banner still fly in CS:GO competitions.
😭😭 Words from @Nadeshot pic.twitter.com/QkFWgui5d4
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 30, 2022
“It’s a really hard game to manage and build a winning team,” he told viewers. “If I had it my way, we would have a CS:GO team today. I love the game, the community, the rivalry, [and] the history of the game. I think it’s incredible to watch, even if you don’t play it.
“But it’s very expensive, it’s really hard to build a winning team, it takes a lot of time, it takes the right combination of players. There are a lot of hurdles there. That’s why I have a ton of respect for other organizations that have made it work. It’s not easy.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
A mixed record
100 Thieves entered the CS:GO scene in December 2017 with the signing of a Brazilian roster featuring the core of the Immortals team that had reached the grand final at PGL Major Krakow earlier that year.
The team ended up missing ELEAGUE Major Boston due to immigration issues, with Vito ‘kNgV-’ Giuseppe and then the rest of the squad being released without making a single appearance for 100 Thieves.
It took over a year for 100 Thieves to make another move in the space. It returned to the game only in October 2019, when it signed Renegades’ Australian lineup, which was fresh off a semi-final run at StarLadder Major Berlin.
Under the new organization, the team reached its first-ever tier-one LAN final at IEM Beijing and broke into the top 5 in the world rankings, only to lose steam when tournaments moved to an online format and teams could only compete within their region.
Justin ‘jks’ Savage, the team’s star player, was sold to Complexity Gaming, while Joakim ‘jkaem’ Myrbostad was transferred to Apeks before reuniting with Aaron ‘AZR’ Ward, Sean ‘Gratisfaction’ Kaiwai, and Jay ‘Liazz’ Tregillgas under the banner of Russian organization EXTREMUM.