Nadeshot Reflects on Starting 100 Thieves in Esports

Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag and Jack ‘CouRage’ Dunlop were guests on the Colin and Samir podcast, discussing the current state of 100 Thieves and the esports industry as a whole.

During the interview, Nadeshot and CouRage were questioned by the two hosts about 100 Thieves and its current business model. Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, both experienced content creators, regularly engage in discussions with top creators about trends and the creator economy in general. This is evident in their work at their own media company, as highlighted in their feature on Digiday.

When speaking about the possibility of organizing esports events under the 100 Thieves name, Nadeshot acknowledged that esports and creators are separate entities. He went on to disclose that if he were to start 100 Thieves from scratch, esports would not be included in the equation.

“Given the significant amount of capital we have raised, if we were to start from the beginning again, it is unlikely that we would prioritize esports. As a CEO with access to tens of millions of dollars, if I had to make that decision today, my focus would be on other business ventures,”he stated on the show.

The topic is discussed at the 48:15 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGd9ntOGGQA

A Brutally Honest Conversation about 100 Thieves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGd9ntOGGQA)

According to Nadeshot, given the current state and funding of esports and his company, it is most advantageous for 100 Thieves to adopt a similar approach to that of a conventional sports organization.

The ex-Call of Duty pro clarified that he was not completely leaving the world of esports, as he believes that there will always be future opportunities in the gaming and competitive titles industry.

Nadeshot also discussed 100 Thieves’ sources of income as a business. He outlined that 50% comes from partnerships, 30% from sales of merchandise and Higround keyboards, and 20% from the sale of in-game cosmetics in Valorant and Call of Duty.

In addition, during the interview, Samir inquired with the 100 Thieves CEO about his thoughts on whether esports and its teams should continue to receive funding from venture capital to the extent that the industry has grown.

The founder of 100T stated that if he were to run a venture capital fund based on the growth of esports since the late 2010s, he “would never write that check again.”Nadeshot also disputed the notion that esports could reach the level of success that was predicted by industry experts before the onset of the esports winter.

“He reassured, “It’s fine if we don’t surpass the non-existent ceiling at the time… there’s a certain authenticity to esports.”

Nadeshot expressed optimism for the future of gaming and esports, stating that teams that prioritize profitability and demonstrate long-term commitment have the potential to succeed even if esports reaches the level predicted to investors.