100 Thieves VP of Esports Maelk told longtime League of Legends fans that they should probably place their trust in other teams when it comes to LoL, resulting in what can only be described as a PR nightmare for diehard fans of the team.
While 100T will still be part of the League of Legends ecosystem, the extent to which they’ll be doing so is currently unclear. The official press release from Riot claimed that they’d be sticking around for one more year, with their spot expiring in 2025 and them not being able to get back in because they have a “provisional guest slot”.
Meanwhile, the org themselves haven’t confirmed or denied that they’ll be exiting the LCS (now known as LTA North), with them saying they still have hopes beyond 2025. Things aren’t adding up, and details around whether or not they’ll actually be leaving once the first year of the LTA is up are murky at best.
So, 100 Thieves VP of Esports Maelk answered some questions over on the team’s official subreddit to try and quell concerns from fans. As it turns out, the answers to these questions didn’t exactly calm people down. They have, if anything, had the opposite effect.
“I think if you’re focused on LoL, and LoL alone, and your priority is to devote your time and energy as a fan to a team that has the highest probability of lifetime involvement with League of Legends, then I would recommend putting your trust in C9 and Team Liquid,” VP of Esports Maelk explained.
“We, as a brand, are so much more than just any one singular title, and I think most fans are missing out if they choose to only rally behind one game.”
He added that their most recent roster inspired them to stick around in the scene for now, but the team clearly needed the extra funds from selling their slot back in order to keep operations going within the league.
100T CEO Nadeshot even took a pay cut to get the CoD roster he wanted because they “ran out of money”, and Riot’s initial statement about the 100T selling their franchise spot back to Riot explained that their departure was for “business reasons”.
Maelk has since made a lengthy apology, clarifying that, in his initial statement, he meant other orgs would be better choices for a lifetime fandom considering their devotion to the League of Legends ecosystem.
However, that apology hasn’t gone over particularly well, either. Here’s an excerpt:
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“I was tunnel-visioning my response, centered around ‘… that has the highest probability of lifetime involvement with League of Legends’, inferring that with our change in status and uncertainty of what happens after 2025, then the two teams who have been a part of the LCS-ecosystem longer than us, and who are still a franchise-holder, would probably be a better bet if your sole priority was lifetime fandom. It was meant as tongue in cheek, and was an admittedly misguided setup for the text that followed, where I clarified why I think fans have a lot to be proud of, and should continue to do so.”
He continued, “Having been born and raised in European football culture, and always sticking by your team, I would never actually push aside a fellow fan or, worse yet, suggest they support the competition. As a fan and competitor, I absolutely loathe any and all of our opponents in the space, to the point of not even addressing their presence in the room on matchdays, never visiting their facilities or socializing with their staff and players (the ‘enemy’) – both they and any one at 100 Thieves can attest to this. We are not here to make friends, we are here to win.”
A fan immediately replied to his apology, saying this:
“Damage is done. F**k your PR BS. You were honest yesterday and the response you got was honest.”
Other fans claimed they’re “scared” for the org’s future, especially those who are invested in 100T purely as a part of League of Legends and aren’t interested in their other esports ventures.
David Szajnuk, arguably 100 Thieves’ biggest megafan in the League of Legends scene, didn’t take the initial response from Maelk well.
“Thanks for the biggest f**k you to my face. Spend hours of my life trying to build exactly that [a fandom] for your program since you couldn’t seem to do it yourself and this is the statement that we get. Wasn’t sure if I was going to post this but anyone with this philosophy should not be involved with League of Legends esports. What a joke.”
He later claimed that he’s still behind 100T as a team and believes in their future, but he isn’t exactly happy with how this has been handled.
And, while there’s a chance that they stay in the LCS after 2025, it’s no surprise fans of the org aren’t optimistic considering uncertainty around their LoL program is something even their higher ups haven’t been able to conceal.
