OverDrive: “100 Thieves killed all their prospects” – analyst slams reported device move to new rain-led lineup
OverDrive: “100 Thieves killed all their prospects” – analyst slams reported device move to new rain-led lineup
Russian talent scout and CS2 insider Aleksei “OverDrive” Biryukov has harshly criticised 100 Thieves’ reported decision to build their new Counter-Strike 2 roster around Håvard “rain” Nygaard and Nicolai “device” Reedtz, claiming the organisation has “killed all prospects” of the project by turning to the Danish AWPer.
His comments follow multiple reports that device is in advanced negotiations to join 100 Thieves as their sniper, becoming one of the centrepieces of the team’s long-awaited return to Counter-Strike.
From dream project around rain…
100 Thieves announced their comeback to Counter-Strike in November, more than five years after exiting the game. In their official statement, the organisation framed CS2 as an opportunity to re-enter a scene that is again booming in viewership and prestige.
Shortly afterwards, they confirmed their first signing: long-time FaZe Clan rifler rain, who had spent nearly a decade with the European superteam before being benched earlier in the year.
“I’ve found a new home in 100 Thieves, and a new exciting challenge is waiting for me,”
rain said in the club’s announcement, adding that he would “do everything possible to get back to the top.”
Rain’s move was widely seen as a statement of intent. The 31-year-old Norwegian is a PGL Major Antwerp champion, an Intel Grand Slam winner and a three-time member of HLTV’s Top 20 players list, with 19 notable trophies to his name during his FaZe tenure.
OverDrive was among the first to report that rain had signed with 100 Thieves, noting that the deal was contingent on the organisation assembling a “strong core” around him. According to his earlier reports, the plan was to buy out three players from GamerLegion, forming a competitive European lineup around the veteran rifler.
Those rumours gained additional credibility when GamerLegion’s CEO publicly confirmed that talks with 100 Thieves had taken place, even if he stressed there were “no active discussions” about selling a full core at that time.
With a legendary rifler secured, a promising target core identified, and a big North American brand backing the project, the early blueprint for the “new rain team” drew cautious optimism in the community.
…to shock reports about device
The tone around the project shifted dramatically when several outlets reported that device is now in advanced talks to join 100 Thieves.
According to HLTV.org and Dust2.dk, Astralis and 100 Thieves are negotiating a transfer that would see the 30-year-old Dane leave Astralis for the second time and move to North America.
HLTV’s report describes the move as “expected” pending the conclusion of talks, with device lined up to serve as the team’s primary AWPer.
Device’s pedigree is not in question:
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Four CS:GO Major titles with Astralis (Atlanta 2017, London 2018, Katowice 2019, Berlin 2019)
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Two Major MVP awards and a record collection of MVP medals across his career
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A near-decade of consistent elite-level performance, with multiple appearances in HLTV’s Top 20 list
As of late 2025 he is still listed as a 30-year-old active player for Astralis.
On paper, pairing a Major-winning rifler like rain with arguably one of the greatest AWPers of all time is the kind of superstar foundation many organisations dream of. But for OverDrive, this is exactly where the project went wrong.
OverDrive’s verdict: “They killed all prospects”
Reacting to the reports about device, OverDrive posted a scathing assessment on his social channels, which was later reproduced by several Russian-language esports outlets.
He argued that 100 Thieves had been on track to build a strong lineup after signing rain and exploring a GamerLegion-based core, but that the decision to move for device undermines the whole project. In his words, by signing a 30-year-old device, the organisation has “killed all [their] prospects,” turning what looked like a promising long-term roster into something he considers fundamentally flawed.
OverDrive also criticised what he sees as a familiar pattern in roster building at the top level: decision-makers without a deep understanding of team construction defaulting to star names rather than coherent structures. He described it as a “common script”: if a player is a legend, you just sign him, regardless of age, role overlap, or psychological profile.
Crucially, he labelled device “psychologically unstable,” referring to the Dane’s well-publicised break from competition during his Ninjas in Pyjamas stint.
In earlier interviews, device himself has openly discussed the personal struggles that forced him to step away from the circuit in late 2021. He spoke about insomnia, panic attacks and his body “shutting down” under stress, explaining that he needed to disconnect from competition to recover.
While those issues are a matter of public record, whether they remain relevant today is unknown; OverDrive is making a judgement call based on his perception of risk, rather than new, confirmed information from the player or club.
Clash of philosophies: legendary names vs long-term project
At the core of OverDrive’s criticism is a broader debate about how to build a modern elite CS2 roster.
From his perspective, the original 100 Thieves plan — rain plus a young, hungry European core, potentially from GamerLegion — looked like a balanced project:
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A title-winning veteran to provide experience and mid-round stability
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A core with built-in chemistry and clear roles
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Room to grow into a top-10 team over time rather than chasing instant, fragile success
The reported pivot toward device, another legendary veteran with a huge trophy cabinet but also years of mileage and a complex recent history, fundamentally changes that equation.
Instead of one experienced star anchoring a younger lineup, the team could end up with two high-profile veterans at the heart of the project, both of whom expect to play star-impact roles. For some analysts, that sounds like a superteam blueprint; for OverDrive, it looks like a risk of short-term thinking and identity issues.
It’s also worth noting that the AWP market in CS2 is relatively thin at the very top. Many of the highest-rated snipers are locked into long contracts, and several teams have opted to promote younger AWPers instead. In that context, 100 Thieves moving for a proven name like device is understandable from a competitive and marketing standpoint, even if it clashes with OverDrive’s ideal model.
What this means for rain’s new chapter
For rain personally, the situation is both exciting and uncertain.
On one hand, the idea of playing alongside device has undeniable upside. If both veterans can still perform at a high level in CS2, 100 Thieves would boast a rifle-AWP duo with:
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Massive big-match experience
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Proven championship pedigree
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A history of thriving under pressure in stage environments
For a returning brand trying to establish relevance quickly, that kind of star power can accelerate invitations to tier-one events and attract coaching and support staff of a similarly high calibre.
On the other hand, OverDrive’s pessimism is specifically about the project around rain. He previously framed the Norwegian’s signing as a strong starting point, provided that 100 Thieves followed through with a robust, synergistic core.
In his view, the device move represents a departure from that logic — a shift from building a cohesive team around rain to bolting together big names and hoping they click. Whether that interpretation is fair will only become clear once:
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The transfer is officially confirmed or denied, and
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The remaining members of the roster, including the in-game leader and coach, are revealed.
Device’s perspective and unanswered questions
From the outside, there are also understandable reasons why device might consider such a move attractive.
After returning to Astralis in late 2022 and later taking on in-game leadership, he has repeatedly spoken about reigniting his passion for the game, but Astralis’ results have fluctuated.
A fresh project in a new region, backed by a high-profile organisation like 100 Thieves, could offer:
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A clean slate away from the constant pressure of Danish expectations
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A chance to shape a roster from its inception
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Significant financial and infrastructural backing typical of top North American orgs
However, none of this is official yet. As of the latest reports:
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100 Thieves have publicly announced only rain as a player.
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HLTV and Dust2.dk report that talks with device are advanced, but still ongoing.
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There is no full roster, coach, or support staff officially confirmed around them.
This leaves plenty of room for the project’s final shape to either support or undermine OverDrive’s pessimistic forecast.
100 Thieves silent as debate builds
At the time of writing, 100 Thieves have not publicly responded to OverDrive’s criticism, nor have they officially commented on the reports linking them with device beyond the standard “no comment on rumours” position commonly adopted by organisations.
What is clear is that the new rain-led roster has become one of the most talked-about storylines in CS2, even before the team has played a single official map:
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Fans are split between excitement at the prospect of a rain-device backbone and concern about age, fragility and long-term planning.
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Analysts like OverDrive are using the situation as a case study in roster construction — star names versus structure, short-term versus long-term thinking.
If device does indeed join 100 Thieves, the organisation will be betting that legendary status, experience and star quality still translate into tier-one success in CS2.
OverDrive, meanwhile, has made his stance unmistakably clear: in his eyes, “100 Thieves killed all their prospects” the moment they chose to follow the “if it’s a legend, we sign him” script instead of fully committing to a modern, growth-oriented project around rain.
How accurate that prediction will prove to be is now one of the most intriguing questions heading into 100 Thieves’ first official matches.
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