100 Thieves have claimed the opening spot in the Esports World Cup group stage following a convincing 2-0 series victory against 1win, taking Ancient 16-14 and Anubis 13-6.
Jack "Gizmy" von Spreckelsen's roster navigated through an incredibly challenging bracket featuring BC.Game and Liquid, overcoming Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev's squad along the way. Meanwhile, 1win eliminated Liquid in their round of 16 encounter.
Facing Vladislav "nafany" Gorshkov's side, 100 Thieves required extra rounds to close out 1win's Ancient selection. However, the European team demonstrated dominance on their map pick Anubis.
Alex "poiii" Nyholm Sundgren delivered an exceptional performance with a 1.65 rating during the CT side, helping his team establish a 9-3 advantage despite losing the pistol round. This strong foundation enabled 100 Thieves to cruise to a 13-6 finish.
Throughout the qualifier, Gizmy posted an impressive 1.44 rating, leading his team's charge to qualification.
This qualification represents a significant milestone for the organization, marking their first tier-one LAN appearance since rejoining the Counter-Strike scene at the year's beginning. Their successful qualifier run has also elevated them to 33rd position in the VRS rankings, with opportunities to gain additional points during the double-elimination group stage starting August 12.
