100 Thieves have made the first mid-season moves with the LCS side not only changing out their head coach, but also their mid laner after the acquisition of a green card.
100 Thieves have made two huge moves already as they plan to get back on track in the Summer Split. 100T finished fourth in the Mid-Season Showdown but lacked an identity after bringing in Ryoma in place of Damonte. Zikz was let go of his duties after three splits at the head of the table.
Later that day, 100T announced former Cloud9 coach Reapered would be taking his place, this is the veteran coaches first team following his departure from C9 at the end of the 2020 Summer Split.
Reapered was not the only addition to 100T's roster, Schalke 04 mid laner Abbedagge was surpsingly announced to be joining. While it was apparent 100 Thieves were in search of a new mid laner, it was previously reported Nisqy was in talks with the organization, so Abbedagge's announcement came out of left field.
Ssumday's green card gives 100 Thieves the green light to worlds
100 Thieves wrapped up their impressive week with the announcement that Ssumday is now a resident. A major import earning residency is a big deal for LCS rosters, with organizations getting the opportunity to add another import to their roster. While importing is a contentious topic, 100 Thieves have capitalized on the opportunity to fix one of their core problems ahead of the summer split. Ryoma performed valiantly for 100 Thieves in spring, but was not able to help his side find an identity.
Fourth place was a big step up from the performances fans saw out of 100 Thieves in 2020. But it was not enough for the backroom staff at 100 Thieves whose aspirations are to attend the world champion this season.
Worlds is the goal, worlds is what we are shooting for in 2021 for 100 Thieves.
Fielding the best League of Legends roster at all times is second nature for teams frequently attending the world championship. LoL content creator and former TSM coach Locodoco has praised the organization for their hard work as well as the work that goes unnoticed.
The introduction of Reapered and bringing in a strong mid in Abbedagge only strengthens their chances of making the World Championship. The task at hand for Reapered will be to get the utmost best out of his players. The veteran coach led Cloud9 to an LCS title as well as multiple appearances at the world championships.
As for Abbedagge, he will be going up against familiar European faces in Perkz, PowerofEvil and Jiizuke. Abbedagge has been a solid player for Schalke and their impressive showings in the LEC. Abbedagge is an upgrade over the former 100 Thieves mid laners that have come before him. Furthermore, with the guidance of Reapered at the helm, the future is bright for 100 Thieves.
Esportsgg's quick thoughts
This is going to make the race for the top three very interesting. C9 and TL are as good as confirmed to be attending worlds this year, leaving only one spot for the likes of TSM, EG and 100 Thieves. Despite losing to TSM, I feel 100 Thieves' problems are manageable. They were able to gain consistent early game leads, and a mixture of TSM forcing them into mistakes as well as some major missteps saw them crash out at the MSS. 100T has a strong core and it will only get stronger with the changes they have made. I expect their next series with TSM to be even closer.
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