rain Explains Why He Stepped Away From IGL Role at 100 Thieves

Håvard “rain” Nygaard has opened up about his move away from the IGL position at 100 Thieves, admitting that his naturally calm personality may not have been the leadership style the Counter-Strike 2 team needed.

Speaking to HLTV after 100 Thieves qualified for the Esports World Cup 2026 main event, rain said the organization wanted a more energetic presence in the captaincy role. The Norwegian veteran has since returned to his more familiar playing responsibilities while Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen has taken control of the team's calling.

 

Quick Summary

 

What rain Said About Leaving the IGL Role

Håvard “rain” Nygaard stepped away from the in-game leader role as 100 Thieves reshaped its CS2 leadership structure.

 

rain joined 100 Thieves as the leader of the organization's new European Counter-Strike project, but his spell as the team's full-time IGL lasted just over six months.

According to rain, discussions about whether calling was really the right long-term job for him began during the first half of the season.

The 31-year-old explained that coach gla1ve asked him whether becoming an IGL was genuinely what he wanted. The conversation eventually helped open the door for rain to return to the roles he had spent much of his career playing.

For rain, that outcome appears to have removed a responsibility he did not necessarily need to keep.

“I think my personality is maybe a little bit too chill.”

He explained that 100 Thieves wanted a more “fiery” IGL, while his own approach tends to be laid-back when teammates make mistakes.

That distinction is important. rain did not frame the change simply as an inability to call. Instead, his comments suggest that leadership style and personality fit played a major part in 100 Thieves' decision to restructure the team.

 

Why rain's IGL Experiment Ended

rain's comments provide useful context for understanding why 100 Thieves recruited Gizmy.

The Norwegian described himself as calm and forgiving when mistakes happen. Gizmy, by comparison, appears to offer a noticeably different leadership profile.

rain characterized the new IGL as straightforward, highly motivated and demanding about details, even joking that Gizmy will make sure teammates know when they have made a mistake with something as small as a grenade.

That creates a clear contrast:

This comparison is based on rain's description and should not be interpreted as evidence that one leadership style is universally better.

For 100 Thieves, however, the organization appears to believe Gizmy's approach better matches what this particular roster requires.

 

Background: How rain Became 100 Thieves' IGL

rain's transition into full-time leadership was one of the more interesting experiments created by the new 100 Thieves project.

When the organization assembled its European roster, the former FaZe veteran became its IGL, working alongside another highly experienced tactical mind in head coach gla1ve.

The lineup was built around a combination of experienced players and younger talent, eventually including device, sirah, poiii and Ag1l.

Earlier in the season, rain had already acknowledged that adapting to calling required significant adjustment.

In a March interview with HLTV, he joked that there were moments when freeze time began and he briefly forgot that he was responsible for making the team's call. More seriously, rain identified mid-round decision-making as an area where he and the team still needed improvement.

That interview also revealed an important part of the original arrangement: rain had made clear that he wanted a coaching staff capable of providing substantial tactical support if he was going to become an IGL.

 

Timeline of rain's 100 Thieves IGL Transition

The Gizmy move was first reported by HLTV on June 22 before being officially confirmed on July 1.

 

Tactical Impact: What Changes With Gizmy Calling?

Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen took over the IGL role at 100 Thieves, bringing a more direct leadership style to the team.

 

The biggest change is not necessarily the team's individual pieces. It is the distribution of responsibility.

With Gizmy handling the IGL duties, rain can focus more heavily on his individual game instead of simultaneously processing the tactical responsibilities of leading an international roster.

That could be particularly valuable given rain's enormous experience playing under established IGLs during his career.

There is also evidence that the tactical transition is substantial rather than cosmetic.

rain revealed that 100 Thieves have been spending roughly three to four hours per day in theory sessions while learning Gizmy's system. He said the new captain has many concepts he wants to implement and that the team is essentially playing within Gizmy's structure now.

The veteran nevertheless warned that the project remains unfinished, saying 100 Thieves are not yet at their peak and may require several months to fully develop.

 

rain Returns to a More Familiar Role

From rain's perspective, stepping away from IGL duties could simplify his responsibilities.

He told HLTV that returning to his previous roles allows him to concentrate on what he enjoys doing and contribute to the team in a familiar way.

That makes the change more than a straightforward captaincy replacement.

100 Thieves effectively made two adjustments simultaneously:

Gizmy became the dedicated tactical leader.

rain was freed from full-time calling duties.

The early results have included a notable 2-1 upset over Falcons at BLAST Bounty Season 2. rain finished that series with 45 kills and a 1.15 HLTV Rating 3.0 across Nuke, Dust2 and Anubis.

One series cannot establish whether the new structure is definitively better, but it provides an encouraging early data point.

 

Why the Change Matters for 100 Thieves

The decision highlights a broader distinction that can sometimes be overlooked when evaluating Counter-Strike captains: experience does not automatically translate into the ideal IGL personality.

rain has spent years competing at the highest level and has played in elite tactical systems. But calling requires more than understanding Counter-Strike.

An IGL must also manage communication, enforce standards, react to mistakes and maintain authority during difficult rounds.

Based on rain's explanation, 100 Thieves wanted someone more forceful in those situations.

Gizmy potentially provides that element while allowing rain to use his veteran experience without carrying primary tactical responsibility.

 

Updated 100 Thieves CS2 Roster

The current active lineup listed by HLTV is:

André “Ag1l” Gil is listed as benched.

 

Gizmy's Arrival Changes the Leadership Dynamic

Gizmy officially joined 100 Thieves on July 1 after his stint with Monte.

The British player had established himself as an emerging IGL after leading Monte to Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major. His arrival immediately transferred calling responsibilities away from rain.

There is another intriguing element to the move.

Following 100 Thieves' victory over Falcons at BLAST Bounty Season 2, rain praised his new teammate and compared aspects of Gizmy's calling style to longtime FaZe captain Finn “karrigan” Andersen.

For a player who spent such a significant portion of his career alongside karrigan, that comparison gives additional context to why rain may be comfortable playing under Gizmy.

 

Tournament Impact: EWC 2026

The leadership change now faces a much bigger competitive test.

100 Thieves successfully navigated the Esports World Cup Open Qualifier to reach the main event. rain said the qualifier placed considerable pressure on the team, particularly during its close series against BC.Game.

He credited Gizmy for both his calling and crucial individual plays during the run.

The level of competition will increase significantly in the main event.

Interestingly, rain said he actually prefers playing against tier-one opposition because the flow of those matches feels more familiar after spending so much of his career competing at that level.

Next event

Esports World Cup 2026 main event

Exact next opponent/time: TBD in the cited interview/source.

 

Historical Context: rain as a Leader

100 Thieves represented rain's first sustained attempt at becoming a full-time IGL.

HLTV noted when reporting the Gizmy negotiations that rain had previously captained G2 briefly in 2015, but the 100 Thieves project represented his first long-term leadership assignment.

That makes the experiment noteworthy even if it ultimately lasted only part of a season.

Rather than continuing with rain simply because of his experience, 100 Thieves changed the structure relatively quickly and recruited a specialist IGL.

From a roster-building perspective, that may allow both players to operate closer to their preferred strengths.

 

What Changes Now?

The tactical hierarchy is much clearer.

Gizmy owns the primary IGL responsibilities.

gla1ve remains the experienced coaching figure supporting the tactical system.

rain can concentrate more directly on his individual responsibilities and provide veteran input without being responsible for every call.

Meanwhile, the rest of the lineup must continue adapting to Gizmy's system.

The amount of theory work rain described indicates that the transition remains an ongoing process rather than a finished tactical overhaul.

 

 

What to Watch Next

Three areas should provide the clearest evidence of whether the change works.

First is rain's individual performance. Removing IGL responsibilities could potentially give him more attention for positioning, mechanics and preparation.

Second is Gizmy's mid-round leadership. This was an area rain previously identified as challenging during his own period as captain.

Third is 100 Thieves' performance against elite opposition. The EWC main event should offer a stronger test of the roster than the qualifying stage.

The important question is therefore no longer whether rain can develop into an IGL.

It is whether 100 Thieves become a stronger team by allowing rain to stop trying.

 

FAQ

Why did rain stop being the IGL of 100 Thieves?

rain said his personality may have been too calm for what the team wanted from its captain. According to him, 100 Thieves were looking for a more fiery leadership style.

Who is the new 100 Thieves IGL?

Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen took over the IGL responsibilities after officially joining 100 Thieves in July 2026.

Is rain leaving 100 Thieves?

No. The change concerns his role rather than his place on the active lineup. rain remains an active 100 Thieves player.

What role will rain play now?

rain said he has returned to his previous playing roles and is happy to contribute without carrying the primary IGL responsibility.

What is next for 100 Thieves?

The team qualified for the Esports World Cup 2026 main event. rain said the roster is still learning Gizmy's system and has not yet reached its peak.