100 Thieves' debut at tier-one LAN competition got off to a rough start as they fell to Vitality in a lopsided 13-4 result on Nuke during their Esports World Cup 2026 opener. Drawing one of the tournament's strongest teams right out of the gate proved too much for the squad that fought their way through the Last Chance Qualifier.
The American side started on the attacking side and managed to secure the opening pistol round, but couldn't capitalize on the early advantage. Vitality responded immediately with a force-buy victory in the second round, then rattled off four consecutive wins. 100 Thieves managed to claim round seven, but Vitality quickly reasserted control by taking four of the following five rounds to establish a commanding 9-3 advantage at halftime.
The second half offered little respite for 100 Thieves. Vitality clinched both the pistol round and the anti-eco to extend their lead to 11-3, then closed out the map at 13-4 without facing significant resistance. French in-game leader Dan "apEX" Madesclaire led the charge for Vitality with an impressive performance, racking up 18 eliminations and 122.9 average damage per round.
100 Thieves now face an elimination scenario as they prepare to battle PARVISION in Group C action on Friday at 12:50 PM, needing a win to keep their tournament hopes alive.
