Of all the teams going into Division B, it is 100 Thieves who have the most pressure on their shoulders. Even this early in the Season, 100T have experienced a number of ups and downs as they look to find some consistency. But why is there so much pressure on this squad? Here we break it all down.
Performance at the Pro League Qualifier
Even at the Pro League Qualifier, 100 Thieves had a rough time. They began the PLQ with early losses to Pittsburgh Knights and Midnight Esports before clawing back a 4-2 record to gain automatic Pro League qualification. Despite early stumblings, 100T fans were encouraged by the clutch factor the squad exhibited in securing their spot in the Pro League, even if it came closer than they would have liked.
Roster Change
However, the squad’s performance at the PLQ would not be enough to keep the core five-man roster together. What resulted was the decision to drop Maurice ‘Fero’ Henrique to a substitute in favour of Preston ‘Priestahh’ Greiner from FaZe Clan. The team would also decide to pick up newly retired James ‘Crowder’ Crowder, also formerly of FaZe Clan, to take up a coaching position. This move wasn’t without controversy, with many feeling it was made to accommodate last year’s MVP Kenny ‘Kenny’ Williams with a Maddox.
Welcome @Priestahh to 100 Thieves Call of Duty.
Priestahh joins us on loan from FaZe for the remainder of the 2019 season. With his addition, Fero will move to a substitute role. We’ll be competing in CWL Pro League with Priestahh on the starting roster. #100T pic.twitter.com/9o4n1Ikqq0
— 100 Thieves (@100Thieves) January 28, 2019
Pressure to Perform at the Pro League
Going into Black Ops 4, 100 Thieves were an instant fan favorite. Founded by Call of Duty legend Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag, many of his long standing supporters were excited to see his squad re-enter the Call of Duty scene. There was much to be excited about by the roster, too: it was made up of three quarters of one of last year’s standout teams, Team Kaliber, and two of the best ARs in previous games, Austin ‘Slasher’ Liddicoat and Sam ‘Octane’ Larew.
With such a stacked squad comes a lot of pressure to perform, and up to this point, they haven’t. Kenny seems far off his MVP performances of last year, and the disharmony in the squad has been well-documented thus far into the season. Now that Kenny will be picking up his preferred Maddox, and a Call of Duty veteran like Crowder is at the helm, things may turn around as they prepare for Division B games this week.
100T will be thrown right into the deep end as they take on Splyce in their opening series. With a strong third-placed finish at CWL Las Vegas, Splyce will be a hard task to overcome. At the same time, if they manage to take the series, it could give the squad a much-needed boost going into their Pro League endeavours. With other top teams in the Division, such as eUnited and Team Envyus, 100 Thieves may find it difficult to pick up much-needed wins. With players of the calibre that currently occupy this roster, however, anything is possible.
Where do you think 100 Thieves will finish in Division B? Do you think they can take down heavyweights like eUnited and Splyce? Let us know your thoughts!
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