The Gang’s All Here: 100 Thieves Announces Full Roster for VCT 2023

Having made the Riot partnership program for VCT 2023 in late September, 100 Thieves enjoyed the position of being one of only ten Valorant teams in America guaranteed a play spot. Placed in such a position, they were poised for a massive power-up ahead of the new season. On the 24th of Oct, the North American titans would announce their full roster in a video. In it, GM Daniel “ddk” Kapadia and new Head Coach Michael “Mikes” Hockom discussed the developments the roster has undergone. They would also outline the plans going forward for the roster.

In the wake of Riot's announcement, numerous high powered lineups such as Faze Clan, Optic Gaming, and XSET suddenly found themselves looking for new homes. With great talent comes the hunger for the highest peaks of competition, and this is most noticeable in the rising super stars of NA Valorant.

 

An Offer You Can’t Refuse

Matthew “Cryocells” Panganiban, formerly of XSET Gaming, could be considered one of the best talents NA ever produced, oft in conversation alongside the likes of Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker for Best Player. Few could match “Cryocells” level of performance, and in the days following Riot’s announcement, few were as well-courted as he was.

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However, he would ultimately end up as the newest addition to the 100 Thieves roster. In the off-season, 100 Thieves would gain the distinction of one of the few teams keeping their rosters intact for the most part. The one concession made, had been to bench star player William “Will” Cheng, to make room for “Cryocells.”

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A decision that both “ddk” and “Mikes” made with a heavy heart, they would conclude in the video that it was for the best of the roster, stating ‘[Cryo] was exactly what [they] were looking for.’

 

Snatched Dreams

The previous iteration of the 100 Thieves roster had seen some large successes, with the team finishing 5th-6th in the VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers, before going on to win the NA Last Chance Qualifier in stunning dominance. Falling to Faze Clan in a stunning example of the 9-3 curse, 100 Thieves would claw their way back to win the entire event, dropping only a single map in their lower bracket run

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At Champions, 100 Thieves would fall to a strong Fnatic side in the Group Stage, ending their dreams in infancy.

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Building a New Legacy

With the addition of “Cryocells,” 100 Thieves look stronger than ever. Being able to boast a star player in every role, the star-studded roster now presents a veritable threat as one of the strongest teams in the league on paper. Adding in the pre-existing chemistry of a tenured roster, and 100 Thieves could very well dominate the early NA VCT landscape.

In the video, “ddk” expressed a desire to craft the next ‘Astralis,’ believing the pieces to be there in this roster. He also expressed gratitude for the current off-season, stating it allows a chance to ‘optimize’ and ‘build a culture that lasts many years.’ With the sudden departure of veteran coach Sean "sgares" Gares as well, "Mikes" will have large boots to fill in leading this young team of stars.

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With that said, the 100 Thieves roster going into VCT 2023 will be:

• Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk
• Derrek “Derrek” Ha
• Brenden “stellar” McGrath
• Sean “bang” Bezerra
• Matthew “Cryocells” Panganiban

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Stay tuned for more news soon.

Image credit: 100 Thieves Valorant