From almost stepping away from competitive Valorant to making his VCT Americas Stage 2 debut in just two days, 100 Thieves rookie Drew “Kess” Lee has had a year to remember. After a tense overtime win that locked his team into the playoffs, he sat down with Hotspawn to discuss his rapid rise, role switch, and what it feels like to go head-to-head with some of the best players in the world.
In the space of a single year, Kess went from a player treating competition as a casual hobby to one of the faces representing a Tier 1 roster in North America. That transformation didn’t happen slowly — it happened in a whirlwind that saw him placed under the bright lights almost overnight.
Kess’ journey from Challengers to Tier 1
Zahk: First off, congratulations on your win today, and thanks for joining us. You’re the rookie here, making the jump from Challengers to VCT. Can you walk us through your gaming journey and how you went pro in Valorant?
Kess: I started gaming because of my older brother. It’s that classic thing — you watch your brother play, you want to try it, and then you try to catch up… but he’s already moved on to another game. That cycle kept going.
As for going pro, I started in Valorant beta, competing on and off. I’d practice with teams but never took it super seriously — until around last September. Funny thing is, I had actually given up on going far in Valorant. I was going to focus on school and find something to fill my time. But I joined a team on a whim, and somehow we made it to Challengers. We even placed third that split.
That was the turning point. Suddenly, it wasn’t just for fun anymore. There were highs and lows after that — placing third, then getting relegated, joining a new Challengers team. But then, out of nowhere, I got a call that would change everything. Two days later, I was practicing with 100 Thieves and preparing for my first Tier 1 match.
Zahk: How did that call from 100 Thieves happen?
Kess: During EWC qualifiers, eeiu had a family emergency and went overseas, so they needed a temporary Sova player. They scouted me, I practiced with them for a couple days, but didn’t end up playing. Still, I was on their radar.
When they made roster changes later, I was one of their priority candidates. Everything happened fast — trial, “you’re flying to LA,” media day, one day of office practice, and then straight into the match. So a lot in within 48 hours I would say.
Zahk: Does your brother still play Valorant?
Kess: Yeah, we used to fight a lot over games when we were younger, but now he’s just super supportive.
Zahk: Who do you click with most on 100 Thieves in terms of in-game chemistry?
Kess: Probably Asuna (Peter). He’s such a good teammate — adaptable, easy to play with — and that makes everything flow better.
Zahk: You’ve played a lot of different agents.
What do you prefer, and how has moving to Sentinel been?
Kess: I used to play scans — Fade, Sova, sometimes Skye. I loved that style: use utility, bait a little, finish rounds. But I actually started competitive play as a Sentinel, so some habits stuck. I’m kind of like your, your, your calm player where like I’ll throw my little dart, realize that no one’s holding flank. And then I’ll just like sit on flank instead of helping my team, you know, and like kind of play the round finisher rather than like someone who gets really active.
But transitioning into the role, obviously it was hard, not because it was just like a different role, but [a] whole new level. You kind of have to like change a lot of the ways you think about things and do things and kind of be like conforming to like what your teammates need.
Now I’m pretty comfortable, though I’d say my Brim is still my weakest.
Zahk: Map 3 was a thriller, but Map 1 looked rough.
What went wrong?
Kess: We were slow to transition as a team. Sometimes calls came in, but no one was in position to act on them. LOUD also played well that map, so credit to them.
Zahk: In NA right now, Sentinels and G2 look far ahead.
Why do you think that is?
Kess: Their approach is bulletproof, with almost no gaps. Experience is huge too. I’m still building that. You can feel it in clutch moments — those players don’t make the same mistakes newer ones do. you can see in the third map of LOUD, like there’s a 1v1 I had with pANcada and I was like pooping my pants right? And I ended up losing the round. But like legit the next round, I’m pretty sure, the two rounds later, another 1v1 – one bullet, round over.
It makes it really hard without these things where it’s like, man, like this has happened before. Like I know how not to throw, you know, like it’s a big part of, you know, being good: experience.
Zahk: Who’s your Valorant GOAT?
Kess: Cryo, no question. His game sense, mechanics, and communication make him the best player in the world in my eyes.
Zahk: You’ve qualified for playoffs.
What’s your focus going in?
Kess: Individually, I need to calm down and think less in high-pressure moments. My teammates have so much experience; they’re unshakable. I’m working on matching that.
Zahk: Who’s the toughest opponent if you make Champs?
Kess: Fnatic. Their structure and players are insane, but I think we can match them.
Zahk: Who wins Champs this year?
Kess: Us — if we keep the momentum going.
Zahk: Was Map 3 today as stressful as it looked?
Kess: Only in that one 1v1. The real stress came after — knowing how much work I’d put in to avoid repeating last week’s mistakes. Losing here would’ve been brutal.
Zahk: Thank you so much for your time and I hope you had a little bit of fun in the interview. Congratulations again on your win today.
With 100 Thieves now locked in for playoffs, Kess’s rookie season is moving at full speed. From nearly walking away from the game to facing some of the best players in the world, the journey has been anything but ordinary. If his confidence and adaptability are anything to go by, this might just be the start of 100 Thieves’ next big run.
If you’re interested in reading more Valorant content about your favorite players, you can check out other interviews we’ve done with Alfajer, Keiko, and more.
