100 Thieves crash out of StarSeries qualifier hours after stunning Falcons

Rituraj Halder Published July 25, 2026

Just hours after shocking the esports scene by eliminating IEM Cologne Major champions Team Falcons from BLAST Bounty Season 2, 100 Thieves got hit with a 1–2 loss against Nuclear TigeRES in the StarLadder StarSeries Fall Europe Closed Qualifier.

The Group D elimination match loss officially ends 100 Thieves’ campaign to qualify for the $500,000 StarSeries Fall LAN event, cutting their chance to face top dogs like Team Vitality, FURIA, and Natus Vincere.

How did 100 Thieves lose the StarSeries game?

The series kicked off on Nuclear TigeRES’ map pick of Ancient. 100 Thieves, led by in-game leader Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen, secured three separate map points, but failed to convert on the rounds when it mattered the most.

Nuclear TigeRES clutched on every opening they got, mounting late-round comebacks to steal the opening map 19–15.

However, when moving to Mirage, 100 Thieves came back swinging. Backed by a class performance by Håvard “rain” Nygaard, who posted a commanding 1.66 map rating, 100 Thieves secured a comfortable 13–8 victory to force a third map.

However, the decider on Inferno saw 100 Thieves lose all their footing. Nuclear TigeRES’ star fragger Ilya “flouzer” Selifonov took over the game, matching rain’s earlier intensity to propel his squad to a decisive 13–7 win.

• Ancient (Nuclear TigeRES pick): Nuclear TigeRES win (19–15, 2OT) 
• Mirage (100 Thieves pick): 100 Thieves win (13–8) 
• Inferno (Decider): Nuclear TigeRES win (13–7) 

Impact on 100 Thieves’ Valve Regional Standings

This complete 180-degree turn from defeating one of the juggernauts to getting kicked out themselves just showed how volatile 100 Thieves’ newly assembled squad is.

While their victory against Falcons offered a massive confidence boost and high-value ranking points in BLAST Bounty’s signature format, failing to advance through the StarSeries Fall qualifier is a massive blow to their overall Valve Regional Standings (VRS) trajectory.

For a roster looking to build consistency and secure direct invitations to future tier-one events, closing out tight maps like Ancient is still where the weakness of this new 100 Thieves squad lies. If they don’t take care of this kryptonite, similar upsets won’t be rare in the near future. Keep that in mind when partaking in CS2 betting.  

Featured image credit: 100 Thieves