On November 8, 100 Thieves unveiled its League of Legends team for the upcoming 2023 season, putting weeks’ worth of speculation to rest.

Legendary AD carry Doublelift, who last worked with Bjergsen on TSM, will make a comeback, was also mentioned in the announcement. Milan “Tenacity” Oleksij, Alan “Busio” Cwalina, and Can “Closer” elik, the lone player from the 2022 lineup returning, will be joining the LCS GOATS as rookie players.

The lineup for 100T in 2023 appears loaded on paper just by glancing at the names. However, is the team really as powerful as it looks, or is this prejudice based on results? Before the LCS resumes play in the following season, let’s analyze one of the most anticipated teams.

A “Closer” look at young rookies Busio, Tenacity

Busio and Tenacity, who were 100T’s Academy top laner and support respectively last year, placed fourth in the LCS Proving Grounds Summer.

Tenacity has been one of the strongest top laners in the second level of the competition and has deservedly earned a starting position in the LCS.

The Korean player Ssumday, who was above him in the hierarchy last season, will be replaced by the rookie from Canada. According to League data website Games of Legends, his personal statistics were among the top in the NA Academy Summer 2022. Tenacity led in terms of average CS per minute (9.6), average gold per minute (446), and experience difference at 15 minutes (+308). Finally, he single killed 20 of his adversaries, placing fourth among all Academy top laners.

He is also renowned for his adaptable champion selection, with 18 different champions being used this year. He will take up a champion if the circumstance demands, whether it be a tank or a carry. Everyone will be looking to see how he handles the competition and what sort of improvements he will bring to the table, even if he might not immediately stand out as a top-tier player in the LCS compared to long-stay veterans.

Busio has developed into a potent talent in North America, much like Tenacity. The Polish-American support, who just received NA Academy Summer’s Most Valuable Prospect honor, joined Challenger at the age of 15 during season nine. Former Evil Geniuses and current Team Heretics coach Peter Dun lauded Busio in an interview with Inven, following in the footsteps of his favorite professional player Keria.

Dun stated, “I believe Busio is much more excited than Jojo was when he was first emerging. “Busio is definitely the most anticipated rookie that I’ve seen entering NA in the previous three years.”

The support player is simply one of the two players in the bottom lane, but having Doublelift as a mentor should help with development. This bot lane will have some standout moments if Busio succeeds in the LCS.

Along with the two rookies, Closer will serve as 100T’s opening jungler. Given that he will begin his third season with the club, it appears that 100T has every intention of keeping the Turkish jungler for the long term.

Closer has shown his value in the jungle talent pool since joining the LCS. In practically every split, he has been a member of the top three LCS All-Pro Teams (second in 2020 Spring, 2021 Summer, 2022 Summer, and third in 2020 Summer and 2022 Spring). Although his numbers aren’t as impressive as those of other junglers, his supporting and utility playstyle has helped him to excel in the 100T.

During the LCS Championship, the Turkish jungler had the second-lowest KDA and CS per minute but was second in average wards per minute and fourth in percentage kill involvement. Closer, on his alone, doesn’t have the same carry potential as the other four, making him at most a top-five jungler.

The competition has altered in recent years, and the 2023 season appears to be more competitive than ever. There are elite athletes competing for the role’s top spot, like Inspired and Blaber. The competition to be the best jungler intensifies when players like Spica (who is expected to join FlyQuest) and 2022 global champion Pyosik are included.

The jungle role emphasizes teamwork and macro play more than anything else. A player like Closer could be able to have a bigger influence on the team given the preseason adjustments, which favor ganking over counter-jungling owing to the absence of additional damage while clearing the opponent side of the jungle.