In front of a raucous São Paulo crowd,
100 Thieves closed out
VCT Americas Stage 2 by lifting the trophy after defeating
LOUD in a five-map series. Following a relatively quiet start to the season, the team steadily built momentum as the split progressed, ultimately securing their second regional league title. 100 Thieves will therefore head to
VALORANT Champions as the region’s first seed.
Before the Esports World Cup in July, 100 Thieves had not competed in an international tournament since the beginning of the season. Their EWC victory was a strong indication of their improved form. The team carried the momentum from the tournament in Paris into Stage 2, suffering just one defeat throughout the Stage 2 group stage, against Cloud9.
Prior to the final, the playoffs had been little more than a formality for the team, as they comfortably dispatched Leviatán and then NRG. In the final, however, they faced a fired-up LOUD side, whose lower-bracket run had not only secured their qualification for Champions but also galvanized the Brazilian crowd, which was firmly behind the home team. LOUD’s young players immediately set the tone by taking the opening map, once again led by the duo of Roberto “erde” Lobos and Lucca “lukxo” Travaioli, who finished the series with 98 and 90 kills, respectively.
A serious contender for the Champions?
100 Thieves bounced back to narrowly claim the next two maps before LOUD leveled the series with a resounding 13-1 victory. On the deciding map, Haven, 100T relied on their Duelist duo of Timothée “Timotino” Lavigne Dupont and Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk, who were both in outstanding form, to close out the series in overtime. Asuna was subsequently awarded the Finals MVP trophy for his performance. The veteran has returned to his best form over the past few months, and that resurgence has been reflected in the Thieves’ performances.
Having qualified for their second Champions, 100 Thieves will face T1 in their opening group-stage match. They will then take on either FUT Esports or JD Gaming, depending on the results. After winning the last two tournaments available to them, the team must now be considered one of the favorites to win the competition. With their previous Champions appearance dating back to 2022, this will also mark their first appearance at the event in the partnership era.
