By defeating XSET in the upper bracket of Challenger Playoffs, 100 Thieves punched their tickets at the second international VALORANT tournament, Master 3: Berlin. For Spencer “Hiko” Martin, qualifying means attending his first LAN event since 2018.
The veteran roster that is 100 Thieves — including big names from Counter-Strike like Nick “Nitr0” Cannella, Josh “Steel” Nissan, and Ethan “Ethan” Arnold — have the most LAN experience out of any team. That experience is what Hiko is banking on for when the team gets to Germany in a few weeks.
“That’s what I’m looking forward to [seeing us perform on LAN],” Hiko said. “You know, the environment, the atmosphere… I don’t know if there will be many spectators, or any, but being in a different country, having fans, it’s all a part of the experience.”
While 100 Thieves may have several decades of FPS experience on their team, someone who doesn’t have that international experience is Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk. According to Hiko, Asuna has only attended one or two offline tournaments in the United States during his CS:GO days.
“I don’t think he’s ready for what’s to come,” Hiko said of Asuna.
Who Hiko wants to face at Berlin
Masters Berlin will be the first time 100 Thieves plays against teams outside of North America. In CS:GO, the competition was usually stacked in favor of the Europeans. However, in VALORANT it’s the teams in NA who are pulling the strings. For Hiko, facing Europe is the obvious choice.
“I think the easy answer is either Europe or Korea,” Hiko said. “Vision Strikers have been the team that the rest of the world has watched over the past year and they seem like a really impressive team. I think, given the chance, those guys would be really cool to play against. Also, since we didn’t get to go to Iceland, I think Europe will be a good experience. Enough of us have experience playing against Europeans from Counter-Strike and watching them play. We can use it to our advantage.”
One of the biggest things that Hiko attributes to his team’s success is support staff and relentless practice. The team had been boot camping in Frisco, Texas at the Complexity Gaming headquarters for the last ten days in preparation for Challengers Playoffs. In addition to their coach, 100 Thieves was able to bring their assistant coaches and a sports psychologist to ensure they are in top shape in and out of the game.
WE'RE GOING TO BERLIN. #100T
With today's wins, we have secured a spot to represent North America at VALORANT Masters: Berlin.
Incredible work from the squad, we couldn't be more proud. pic.twitter.com/GebrEWbiGr
— 100 Thieves (@100Thieves) August 12, 2021
“We’re going to Berlin,” 100 Thieves said on Twitter. “With today’s wins, we have secured a spot to represent North America at VALORANT Masters Berlin. Incredible work from the squad. We couldn’t be more proud.”
As the second team to qualify for Berlin from North America, 100 Thieves and Sentinels will be awaiting the third seed to join them later this week. When Challengers Playoffs conclude, each qualified team will have seed for placements at Masters Berlin. Masters 3 begins on Sept. 9 and will continue through Sept. 19.
