History has finally been made for 100 Thieves. In a statement performance at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the North American squad captured their first-ever S-Tier international trophy by taking down regional rivals NRG 3-1 in the Grand Final of the Esports World Cup 2026.
This victory marks a massive turning point for the organization. After years of near-misses and roster iterations, the current lineup—featuring long-time veteran Peter "Asuna" Mazuryk alongside newcomers—hit their stride at the perfect moment. For Asuna, who has been the face of the team for over five years, the win is a long-awaited validation of his loyalty to the org.
The Grand Final was a rollercoaster. 100 Thieves opened the series with a dominant 13-7 win on Breeze, followed by a clinical 13-6 victory on Sunset. While NRG, the reigning world champions, fought back to take Haven 13-3, they couldn't complete the reverse sweep. The fourth map, Ascent, proved to be the decider. Despite trailing 9-3 at the half, the 100 Thieves roster, spearheaded by rookie IGL Jordan "vora" Pulwer, staged a gritty comeback to force overtime and eventually close the map 14-12.
The roster’s success in Paris was built on a foundation of trust. By empowering vora as the IGL and giving rookie duelist Timotino space to shine on the international stage, the coaching staff cultivated a team that refused to crumble under pressure. Matthew "Cryocells" Panganiban was a standout throughout the event, earning the tournament MVP award for his consistent impact as a Cypher main.
With this $600,000 prize and the momentum of an undefeated playoff run—which included wins over MIBR and Nongshim RedForce—100 Thieves have firmly established themselves as the team to beat heading into the next stage of the circuit. Whether they can maintain this peak form remains the biggest question for the rest of the year.
Stay tuned to our matches page for all the latest updates and MyEsports predictions for upcoming tournaments.