This past year wasn’t all that kind to 100 Thieves’ League of Legends division.
The popular esports organization failed to live up to expectations in 2023. But next year, the team might be starting a new chapter by bringing up one of the region’s most promising prospects to the main stage.
Rayan “Sniper” Shoura is a 16-year-old top laner who has spent the entirety of his short career in North America’s tier-two scene, playing solely for 100 Thieves’ Challenger and Academy rosters. He is, however, expected to get his first big shot in the LCS in 2024 by being promoted to 100 Thieves’ main roster next year, according to esports reporter Alejandro Gomis.
If Sniper does get the call up to start for 100 Thieves, he would be replacing one of the region’s most experienced and recognized stars, Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho, who recently returned to 100T this summer after a quick split-long stint with Evil Geniuses.
This would mark yet another new beginning for the team after it experimented and failed to build a successful roster with superstars like Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng this year. Sniper would also be the youngest player in the LCS, which could put intense pressure on his shoulders.
Sniper began his journey on 100 Next, which was the organization’s amateur roster that focused on giving younger players a better environment on the way to professional play, in 2021. He climbed his way through the scene, earning his place on the Academy team a year after his Thieves debut. The young star is also the younger brother of Omran “V1per” Shoura, who has played professionally with a multitude of other organizations.
League runs in this family’s veins and Sniper has a ton of potential to become the next big star from NA. Fans have already seen young guns blossom into incredible talents, like Evil Geniuses’ star mid laner Joseph “jojopyun” Pyun. They can only hope that if Sniper makes his debut next year, he can find similar successes in his opening season.
Published: Sep 5, 2023 04:15 pm