100 Thieves is putting together a CS2 team, the North American organization announced on November 10th. This will see 100 Thieves return to Counter-Strike esports after departing the scene in October 2020, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty around the CS:GO ecosystem at the time.
100 Thieves’ return to Counter-Strike has only been made possible because of a multi-year partnership with Roobet, a crypto gambling casino, as 100 Thieves put it. According to the Californian organization, Roobet will serve as the “presenting & naming rights sponsor” of 100 Thieves CS2.
So, as a result of this, they’ll be called 100 Thieves Roobet. The organization said in the press release that this partnership with Roobet is “one of the largest and most significant” in its whole history. This is 100 Thieves’ first investment outside of the United States, and it will include a training facility in Serbia, which will serve as a “central hub for creators to stream and produce content.”
100 Thieves also noted in the press release that the partnership with Roobet will focus on “competitive content and fan engagement.” There will be no direct gambling streams or direct betting content on 100 Thieves’ social media channels.
Jacob Toft-Andersen, the president of 100 Thieves, and Allen Temiz, Roobet’s director of partnerships, spoke about the partnership for CS2.
Jacob Toft-Andersen:
Counter-Strike has always been a cornerstone of esports, and CS2 has sparked new energy worldwide. Europe is at the center of that community, and by establishing a permanent home there, we’re committing to doing this the right way and with Roobet as a partner, we’re building something our fans can be proud of.
Allen Temiz
Counter-Strike has always been close to our hearts at Roobet. Our founding team met playing CS online, so this partnership with 100 Thieves feels like coming home.
Joining forces to launch 100 Thieves Roobet is not just a business move, it’s a passion project rooted in the very DNA of our company. We’re proud to help bring one of the most iconic esports brands back to the Counter-Strike stage and to build something global, competitive, and unforgettable.
100 Thieves had two teams in CS:GO. The first was an all-Brazilian roster, formerly of Immortals, which 100 Thieves parted ways with before they played a single official back in 2018.
The second was an Australian roster, formerly of Renegades, which peaked at No. 5 in the world in 2020.
100 Thieves is reportedly building a team around rain. Credit: Sebastian Pandelache | © PGL
As of the moment of this writing, 100 Thieves hasn’t announced any players for its CS2 team.
The North American organization, however, has signed the legendary Håvard “rain” Nygaard, according to a report by Dust2.dk on October 31st. FaZe Clan benched rain in September following a string of mixed results, and the Norwegian said at the time that he was open to becoming an IGL.
On the same day that Dust2.dk published its report, Team Spirit’s scout and CS2 insider, Aleksey “OverDrive” Biryukov, wrote on his Telegram that rain will play for 100 Thieves as long as the organization signs a “strong core.”
OverDrive reported that 100 Thieves was targeting a core from GamerLegion, but the German organization announced through its founder and CEO, Nicolas “L3gi” Reber, that there is “no active discussion” to sell players to 100 Thieves.
100 Thieves will announce further details about its new CS2 team and the schedule in the coming months.
“With every player announcement, a donation will drop to a charity of that player’s choice, and that’s just the start,” 100 Thieves said.
“As the team racks up milestones throughout the year, even more contributions will roll in. We want to make every moment count for something bigger than the game.”
Feature image credit: © 100 Thieves
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