100 Thieves adds the former leader of Activision to the growth of his empire esports

It's a few busy months for 100 thieves. In October, the e-sports group participated in League of Legends World Championship in its first year of existence, and later this month Drake and producer Scooter Braun have signed as co-owners. Since then, the company has continued to grow and takes another important step as a former Activision executive and co-founder of Major League Gaming, Mike Sepso, joins the board of 100 Thieves. "I was really impressed before joining the board with everything they could do," said Sepso. The edge.

100 thieves was founded in 2017 by the old Call of Duty "Matt Mattes" "Nadeshot" Haag, and it's kind of a cross between a traditional electronic sports organization and a streetwear company and a lifestyle brand. The group manages professional teams in a variety of games, but also focuses on clothing and influencers. 100 Thieves jerseys are selling quickly and the company is abandoning anticipated clothing lines in a model influenced by the streetwear king Supreme. Last month, 100 thieves unveiled its "content house", a space dedicated to creators as popular Fortnite streamer Rachel "Valkyrae" Hofstetter. In a November interview the the Wall Street newspaperHaag outlined his ambitious plans. "We want to be Supreme, Vice and Red Bull," he said. "We want to be like Netflix or Hulu."

The attention to lifestyle and the ability to reach a wide scope partly explain the fact that players like Drake have registered, but the competitive game is also at the heart of 100 Thieves. After his debut League of Legends, the group has since formed Call of Duty and Fortnite teams, and he actively recruits Apex Legends players. (100 thieves also had a brief stint in the Clash Royale League, but the team has since dissolved).

There were some early successes; a qualified star team for the Call of Duty World League this season, and after a successful first-year performance, 100 Thieves' League of Legends The team made a splash by signing double world champion Bae "Bang" Jun-sik for the current season.

Photo courtesy of Riot Games

This is where Sepso's background will be useful. He co-founded the pioneering electronic sports company Major League Gaming in 2002 and joined Activision in 2015 to help the company launch its new competitive gaming division. Activision then acquired MLG the following year. As a board member of 100 thieves, he will use this experience to help the company achieve its great ambitions.

"I have been fortunate to be in the midst of many major changes in the industry and some of the most important parts of the business as it grows. I hope to bring this experience and my personal network. and relationships to help the company run, "says Sepso.

Sepso says that he has known Haag since the early days of the MLG and that he has kept in touch over the years because he has helped to give advice to young entrepreneurs. "I know Matt since he was literally a teenager and I had just been doing e-sports as an MLG player," says Sepso. "So it was a natural choice for both of us. I was really excited when he proposed me to become a board member. "

Sepso said that during his stay at Activision, one of his main goals was to introduce the franchise model, dominant in traditional sports, with permanent teams based in specific cities, in the world of e-sports. It has since become the backbone of the Overwatch League, and he was adopted by League of Legends in North America and Europe. He will probably be one of the professionals Call of Duty in the future, Activision said.

Since leaving Activision, Sepso has turned to electronic sports as a team sport; first signing as strategic advisor for the Overwatch New York Excelsior of the League, and now as a board member of 100 Thieves. While the franchise model is becoming standard leagues, he sees individual teams as the next frontier. "Teams are really the next place where much of the innovation happens in eSports," says Sepso.