100Thieves re-signs River ahead of the 2025 season
According to sources close to Sheep Esports, jungler Kim "River" Dong-woo is set to re-sign with 100 Thieves (100T) ahead of the 2025 LCS season. As the veteran captain of a much less experienced squad, River led 100T to top four placements in both 2024 LCS splits. Despite an early exit from Worlds 2024, many fans would call 2024 a successful rebuild for the 100 Thieves organization.
Surrounded by rookies
At the beginning of the year, all eyes were on 100 Thieves as they built a roster filled with young talent, sparking both excitement and skepticism from analysts and fans about their potential success. With Rayan "Sniper" Shoura finally making his LCS debut and the addition of Lim "Quid" Hyeon-seung from Gen.G Academy, many questioned how far this youthful lineup could go. River, being the only veteran on the roster, brought the much-needed experience and leadership to guide the young team through the challenges of the season.
River and 100 Thieves showcased exceptional skill throughout the year, competing against the best teams in the LCS. The team earned their Worlds 2024 spot by defeating Cloud9 in the Summer Playoffs, a team many considered a shoe-in for Worlds coming into the year. Although the team failed to advance past Worlds Play-Ins, their performance highlighted the amount of talent on the lineup yet to be unlocked. Under River’s leadership, 100 Thieves has a bright future ahead of them as they head into the 2025 Americas merger.
With River set to re-sign for the 2025 season, 100 Thieves look to stay on course and continue to grow their roster of young talents. As the next season approaches with much uncertainty, the bar to maintain their competitive success will only continue to go up.