Sources: 100 Thieves have been selected as a VCT Americas partner team for the 2027-2028 cycle

100 Thieves have been selected as a VCT Americas partner team for the 2027-2028 cycle, sources tell Sheep Esports. The Los Angeles-based organization, a partnered team since the league launched in 2023, will extend its stay in the circuit after a year in which it won its first international trophy.

Sources indicate that Riot took into account fan engagement, recent performance, regional results and long-term commitment when making its picks. A 2026 headlined by titles at the Esports World Cup and in VCT Americas Stage 2 places 100T among the region’s strongest candidates.

From 2027, the league goes from ten partner teams per region to eight. As a partnered team, 100T will have a direct berth at Kickoff, which kicks off the year in São Paulo from January 14 to February 7, along with a base payment and revenue from its in-game capsules.

The organization can also skip the opening rounds of the Open Qualifiers on its way to the Cups, in Mexico City (April 29 to May 23) and Rio de Janeiro (August 5 to 29), which decide who goes to the international events.

100 Thieves entered VALORANT in 2020, winning First Strike North America, and became a regular in the scene, finishing third-fourth at Masters Berlin in 2021 and reaching Champions in 2022. That September, Riot announced it as one of the Americas partner teams on a four-year contract, a deal that runs through the 2026 season.

The first big result of the cycle came in 2024. 100T won Stage 1 by sweeping G2 Esports 3-0 in the grand final, its first title since First Strike, and went on to finish fourth at Masters Shanghai. The year ended one step short of Champions, with a 2-1 loss to KRÜ Esports with a spot on the line.

The following year was a step back. 100T finished 9th-12th at Kickoff and, although it reached the playoffs in both stages with top-six finishes, it missed Masters Bangkok and Masters Toronto. The Esports World Cup qualification, secured with a second-place finish in the Americas Qualifier, ended with last place in its group.

The rebuild kept the organization’s longest-serving names. Matthew “Cryo” Panganiban, who joined in late 2022, and Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk, with the organization since 2020 and entering his sixth season, returned alongside Jordan “vora” Pulwer and Timothée “Timotino” Lavigne, signed from TSM after their Ascension run, and Sean “bang” Bezerra. Laurynas “Nbs”, a world champion as Acend’s coach in 2021, joined as head coach.

The results arrived quickly. After finishing fourth in Stage 1, 100T won the Esports World Cup, beating MIBR in the quarterfinals, Nongshim RedForce in the semifinals, and reigning world champions NRG 3-1 in the final, with Cryo named MVP.

It was the organization’s first international title in VALORANT, and it came with $600,000 in prize money. A few weeks later, 100T beat LOUD 3-2 in the Stage 2 grand final in São Paulo, with Asuna as MVP, and earned the Americas’ first seed at Champions Shanghai. The team finished the world championship in third place.

After a year with two titles, the question for the offseason is whether the five-man core that delivered them stays together. The new circuit will also give the organization more ways to qualify for Masters in Seoul and Valencia, as long as it can repeat the results of its best season.