100 Thieves is coming home.
The popular esports organization has officially acquired a franchise in the Call of Duty League, purchasing the spot previously held by Immortals Gaming Club under the OpTic Gaming brand. This will see 100 Thieves compete in the league as the Los Angeles Thieves, taking over the location formerly occupied by OpTic.
The news was officially confirmed by Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag. The 100 Thieves founder and former Call of Duty pro player was visibly excited over the announcement, which was made via YouTube.
Nadeshot competed professionally in Call of Duty with OpTic Gaming before forming 100 Thieves in 2016 by signing a Black Ops 3 lineup. While that initial roster only lasted a few months, the 100 Thieves organization grew quickly across esports.
The team received significant financial backing and acquired a franchise in North American League of Legends competition, the LCS, in 2017. It also added a stable of Fortnite players, and twice bought out prominent lineups to gain traction in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
It was forced out of Call of Duty in 2019 due to the game’s transition from an open circuit to a closed, franchised league. Nadeshot lamented 100 Thieves having to pull out of the game, stating that the high capital cost of purchasing a franchise and the requirement of establishing operations in another city were too great for the team at the time.
The team’s positioning improved in this regard and matters were likely helped when the Los Angeles franchise became available. 100 Thieves opened headquarters in Los Angeles in January.
The OpTic Gaming franchise also included the team’s roster, which is made up of the following players:
- Kenny “Kenny” Williams
- Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat
- Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly
- Zack “Drazah” Jordan
As for OpTic Gaming, the logo and branding is once again under the control of Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez. H3CZ is currently an executive with NRG Esports, owner of the Chicago Huntsmen. It is unclear whether the Huntsmen will be rebranded or if the OpTic Gaming logo could appear elsewhere.
