The 2020 off-season was a time of change for several parts of the competitive Call of Duty scene.
The Call of Duty League (CDL) unveiled that 4v4 competition would be returning for the 2021 season alongside a switch to PC, while all franchises made a number of changes to their respective rosters.
While several high-profile roster moves headlined the off-season, the topic on the lips of the community was the return of North American esports organisation 100 Thieves. Having stepped back from the esport at the end of the 2019 season, 100T unveiled that they would be entering the CDL under the Los Angeles Thieves banner.
Find absolutely everything you need to know about the LA Thieves, including their roster, how 100T returned to competitive Call of Duty, and how we think they’ll fare during the season.
Read More: OpTic Chicago CDL 2021 Roster, Franchise History, And Season Expectations
Los Angeles Thieves Franchise History
On November 6th 2020, it was announced that OpTic Gaming founder Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez had re-acquired control of the OpTic Gaming brand, much to the delight of competitive Call of Duty fans across the globe.
As per league rules, H3CZ was unable to be part of two CDL franchises and opted to sell the Los Angeles franchise slot to long-time friend, OpTic CoD legend, and 100 Thieves founder Matt “Nadeshot” Haag.
With Nadeshot back in the top level of Call of Duty competition and H3CZ back in control of OpTic Gaming, the Call of Duty landscape had entered a new, yet somewhat familiar, era.
By purchasing the Los Angeles slot, Kenny “Kenny” Williams, Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat, Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly, and general manager Eric “Muddawg” Sanders joined the organisation. With one spot remaining on the starting roster, former New York Subliners slayer Donovan “Temp” Laroda completed the team.
Los Angeles Thieves CDL 2021 Roster
Can SlasheR find championship success with the LA Thieves?
The LA Thieves roster consists of some of the most experienced and explosive players that has graced Call of Duty esports in recent years.
2016 world champion SlasheR is widely considered to be one of the greatest assault rifle players of all time while the trio of Kenny, TJHaLy, and Temp have all shown glimmers of brilliance at various stages of their respective careers.
Armed with a near-perfect balance of passive assault rifle play and aggressive slaying power, the LA Thieves have the foundations to build what could be a championship-winning team.
The full roster can be found below:
- Kenny “Kenny” Williams
- Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat
- Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly
- Donovan “Temp” Laroda
Los Angeles Thieves Season Expectations
After a lacklustre performance against OpTic Chicago in a highly anticipated encounter to round off the Kickoff Classic, it’s hard to gauge how the LA Thieves will fare during the 2021 season.
It’s more than likely that the team has been hard at work improving and refining strategies, meaning that the chances of seeing a completely different performance at the opening weekend is more than likely.
The potential to contend for championships is certainly there but with the level of competition at an all-time high, if the Thieves don’t begin the season on the front foot, they could find themselves in a tough mid-table scramble against some tricky opposition.