100 Thieves plans to leave the League of Legends pro scene due to funding issues, although Riot Games wasn’t eager for their departure. Despite selling their franchise slot, 100 Thieves will stay for an additional year in the LTA format with a provisional slot.
In 2024, 100 Thieves had a mixed season. They unexpectedly defeated Cloud9 to qualify for Worlds 2024, but struggled at the event, losing to minor region teams and exposing the LCS as a two-team league for the year.
Although the team re-signed River, aiming to improve in 2025, 100 Thieves’ exit is assured. They sold their slot back to Riot as part of the LTA merger, but Riot allowed them to compete for one more year despite this.
According to a Riot press release, 100 Thieves’ decision was “business-driven” rather than a lack of interest in the league. Given that Nadeshot accepted a pay cut to secure the CDL team he wanted, this wasn’t unexpected.
Riot is unsure how to handle the slot once 100 Thieves departs after 2025. Disguised has a guest slot they can defend, but the future of the second slot remains undecided. Riot might keep it as a guest slot to attract more creator teams, or they might sell it for franchising, though the slot’s value could be questioned after 100 Thieves’ exit.
