100 Thieves' Maelk on OpTic's CS:GO roster, expansion into new games, and more
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive as well as expanding into other esport titles.
Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag’s team ventured into the CS:GO scene back in 2018, picking up an all-star roster from Brazil. However, visa complications meant that the team could not attend the ELeague Boston Major and were dropped.
Despite that difficult entry point, a return to the scene has remained on Nadeshot’s priority list as well as being on the wishlist of many fans who are desperate to plaster their weapons in stickers. They could all soon get their wish.
The 100 Thieves Major stickers remain a high price within the CS:GO market.During an Ask Me Anything on the 100 Thieves subreddit, the organization’s ‘Esports Leadership Team’ answered questions about possible expansions into other titles as well as returning to CS:GO. As the new face on the scene, Maelk answered many questions – with plenty directed at him and his new role.
“CS:GO is unarguably one of the most interesting games in esports and always has been,” he said, replying to one question directed at his influence over a move into the game. “Matt (Nadeshot) entered it for a reason the first time around, and to this day has remained on top of the wish list of titles for 100T to be competing in. So… hopefully.”
One speculative link about a possible roster that has already been made is the current OpTic Gaming line-up as they are on the chopping block after being bought by Immortals Gaming Club.
Maelk had a part in bringing the fully Danish line-up, who scored the organization’s first trophy in CS:GO since 2016 at Dreamhack Summer, together under the OpTic banner and said it’s “not impossible” when quizzed about the possibility of bringing them to 100 Thieves.
100 Thieves may have a presence in the majority of major esports but a move into smaller games might not be off the table. The team were also asked about diving into the fighting game community and stated that they are “exploring potential players to possibly bring on board down the road.”
Another growing esports scene is Rainbow Six: Siege, with developers Ubisoft supporting the competitive scene at every turn.
A number of top organizations have already made the move into the CS:GO-like space but there is still plenty of room to grow in terms of matching similar titles. Maelk answered a question on that particular topic with a glowing review of Ubisoft, the game itself, and it’s player base.
With almost all of the biggest names in esports holding a CS:GO roster of some sort, it seems like a foregone conclusion that 100 Thieves will make their mark on the scene once again.
Yet, some fans may also be encouraged by the idea of branching into other games and scenes that might not hold the prestige of others and are still on the rise.