Asuna during the interview after their win against LOUD. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
“America is the hardest league. And once you qualify for internationals from Americas, you’re playing to win the whole thing”
100 Thieves kicked off their season in VCT Americas with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over LOUD. In a post-match interview with Sheep Esports, one of the organization’s long-standing faces, Asuna, explained why he didn’t want a perfect series if it meant revealing too much too soon, what the team’s core trio is looking to prove in 2026, and how two Tier 2 recruits have already raised the bar within the team, and more topics.
Congratulations on the win. How are you feeling after beating LOUD today?
Asuna: “Feeling good. I wish it was a clean 2–0, obviously, but it was a nice 2–1. We got good reps in, and we play Sunday. I was hoping for a decisive game, but I didn’t want to burn too much or show too much because Sentinels or Evil Genuises is going to be another hard opponent.
When you look at this new version of 100 Thieves, what story are you trying to write this season? What identity do you want to impose on the league?
Asuna: There are personal narratives, but for the team narrative, the core—me, Bang (Sean Bezerra), and Cryo (Matthew Panganiban)—are trying to prove we can go to internationals and win. A lot of people write us off, even though many pro players think highly of us three. That’s the main storyline. With the two rookies and the staff, Nbs (Laurynas Kisielius) is in franchising for the first time, but he has titles, and d00mbr0s (Carl Sandgren) has experience from teams like NAVI; it’s a big moment for them too. They’re trying to be the European head coach “top dogs” in America.
With a changing roster, there’s usually a moment where everything clicks. Are you still waiting for that breakthrough, or have you already felt it?
Asuna: We got a lot better after game one. You learn a lot from every loss. After the first loss, we learned we needed to play slower and talk more. We weren’t communicating as well as we usually do. That was a small breakthrough. But it’s hard to know if a breakthrough is major until later. You learn something every match, and it all adds up. Hopefully, we’ll go on a run, and you’ll see how good we are.
What were you looking for with the rookies, and what made you think they were the right fit?
Asuna: I’m fighting for my spot every single year. I’m not building a team. I’m grateful for every day, and lucky they wanted to play with me. But I watched them in Tier 2, and I was happy they were coming in. Vora and Timotino came into Tier 2 and dominated right away. Those are the players you want—this kind of exceptional player. You don’t want someone who’s been in Tier 2 for four years and is just above average. Luckily, Timotino (Timothée Lavigne Dupont) and vora (Jordan Pulwer) are insane, and we’re growing together and making each other better. It should be a good year.
Timotino and Vora joining 100 Thieves for the 2026 VCT Americas season. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
As one of the veterans with Bang and Cryo, how do you support the rookies day-to-day and find the balance between protecting them and letting them loose?
Asuna: They both have really good heads on their shoulders. Outside the game, I’m teaching them simple life stuff in LA, where to do things, and where things are, because it’s their first year, and I’ve been here a long time. In-game, they’re perfect. The only thing I really say is to stay cool and collected, which is funny coming from me because I’m loud. We’ve been working on that. But honestly, they’re great in-game and out-of-game. Good mentalities, and they make every day of practice a joy.
What’s your reset method when a series starts to spiral? Who speaks up, and what gets said?
Asuna: The biggest thing is when you know there’s an easy fix. If you can identify one big problem and patch it quickly, going into the next map, you’re good, and in VALORANT you can fix things fast. We realized our issue on map one and forced everyone to adhere to the solution. We needed to be slower. Even in the last round of map one, we went too fast with a 4v3 against bad guns, and we could’ve brought it to OT. For Pearl, our mindset was slower retakes, more methodical, talk more, wait, and don’t make mistakes. If they don’t make a mistake, we’ll have perfect utility, and they won’t be able to play. That worked really well.
Compared to older 100 Thieves rosters, how does this team feel?
Asuna: It feels more in control. Sometimes it feels the same; sometimes it feels really different. With the core three, it’s naturally going to feel similar. It feels like going back and watching an old show; I’m with the gang again. We’re in “Season 5” now: the core three are still there, and we’ve got a new cast.
The league shifted a lot with new rosters and a big wave of rookies. What’s your take on the level of the league, and is there a team you really want to face?
Asuna: I just want to make internationals. Any team that’s not from America would be a blessing. The league has leveled up. Everyone made roster moves they believe are upgrades on paper, and that forces everyone to get better. Even teams people think are weak still have really good maps and ideas. America is the hardest league. And once you qualify for internationals from Americas, you’re playing to win the whole thing. No one can count out an Americas team NRG is a good example.
Any newcomers who genuinely shocked you?
Asuna: My friend bao (Bao Nguyen) is insane. And an underrated one is Neon (Bruno Rodríguez). He hasn’t played yet, but I already know he’s insane. I watched a lot of VODs. That Leviatán Academy team was really good. If they figure things out and trust who’s a well-established coach, they’ll be really good. That team might shock people.”