100 Thieves to exit LTA North at the end of 2025

A few weeks before the start of the LTA North Split 3, 100 Thieves drops the news they will be leaving LTA North at the end of the 2025 competitive season.

100 Thieves will be leaving LoL Esports one year after the LTA merger

The announcement came from both Riot Games and 100Thieves yesterday, as the game publisher has seemingly found a new long-term partner for the upcoming 2026 season. At the time of writing, the new partner has yet to be revealed.

“In 2024, we made a strategic business decision to sell our permanent franchise slot in the LCS and accepted an invitation from Riot Games to transition as a Provisional Guest Team for the 2025 season,” explained 100 Thieves in their announcement. “We understood that this arrangement was temporary while Riot Games would work towards securing a long-term partnership for the league in 2026. Riot Games has chosen to move forward with another partner, and thus this marks the conclusion of our historic League of Legends run since 2018.”

100T explains the rationale behind the decision and what this means for the organization

In a Q&A with the 100T community, VP of Esports Joseph Jang explained that all players and staff were informed of the decision and will be entering free agency at the end of the year.

He also added that the esports organisation is open to returning to the LTA, but they will need more time to evaluate the evolution of the esports ecosystem, which is still based primarily on franchising. After selling the slot last season, 100 Thieves stayed in the LTA, knowing that this outcome was possible.

When asked about why 100T is shifting its focus to other titles despite League of Legends being a core game to the team’s growth, Jang explained that running multiple esports titles means you can’t give all of them equal attention, even if that’s the desired intention.

“We do our best to support each title, but we’re also navigating a business where not every game performs equally in terms of sustainability or opportunity,” he said, explaining that the organization won’t shift the efforts in LoL to another game title.

“To our dedicated community and unwavering fans, we will have a proper send-off throughout this final season to celebrate, remember, and commemorate our lifelong bond to North American League of Legends. Your loyalty and passion surrounding League of Legends is what helped shape 100 Thieves to what it is today. Thank you for being part of such an incredible story, and for now, let’s show our support to the coaches, players, and staff as they take part in the final chapter of the heist,” said 100 Thieves in their announcement.

Another legacy is leaving

Joining the former LCS back in 2018, 100 Thieves became one of the most popular brands in the North American League of Legends scene. Known for having a strong brand identity led by CEO Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, 100Thieves brought a new approach when it came to lifestyle, content creation, and fan engagement.

Throughout its seven years in the competitive scene, 100 Thieves was able to win one LCS Championship in 2021, with a total of four Worlds appearances.