Former Evil Geniuses assistant and VALORANT champion Tony “Zikz” Gray is set to join 100 Thieves as their new head coach for the VCT 2024 season, according to reports this past weekend. This will mark the first official off-season move for 100 Thieves, with many fans still unsure what lays in store for the popular org heading into the next season.
The assistant coach and member of the back office responsible for EG’s rise to VCT Champions status in Los Angeles last month will take the reins at 100 Thieves, according to a Sept. 9 report from blix.gg.
It was announced on Sept. 8 that Zikz was stepping away from EG, but mentioned he wasn’t leaving the esport for good. His exact words were that he was heading on his “next journey to win another one.” Safe to say, fans were expecting him to head to another Americas team, and as it turns out, they’d be right. Ultimately, it seems Zikz will remain in L.A., making the move to the 100 Thieves headquarters this off-season.
100 Thieves had a topsy-turvy start to 2023, starting out strong by reaching the quarterfinals of LOCK//IN São Paulo and only losing to the eventual victors Fnatic. They couldn’t convert this result into regional play, however, ending with a 4-5 record and being eliminated by Sentinels in the LCQ.
It’s hard to remember, but it was 100 Thieves getting upset by an already-eliminated MIBR in their final match of the regular season that led to EG even making it to Masters Tokyo, and by extension, winning Champions 2023. Zikz has his trophy in part thanks to 100 Thieves, but now he wants them to win.
Now, Zikz’s got a big job ahead of him—overseeing the next stage of 100 Thieves after rising to the top with EG. He’s got a great pool of talent to choose from, both currently signed to the squad and in free agents ripe for the picking.
Plus, if there is one thing Zikz is familiar with from his time on EG, it’s choosing the right team from a wide variety of options. Whether he’ll have that same option or not, the pressure now moves onto him as the new head coach.
This promotion in the role is something Zikz is new to at this level, as he has not risen above the role of assistant yet. However, possessing experience working with the likes of Josh “JoshRT” Lee and Christine “Potter” Chi, he should be more than capable. Time will tell whether he can restore 100 Thieves’ status as a competitive VALORANT squad ahead of the 2024 VCT season, which kicks off early next year.
