100 Thieves parts ways with VALORANT player Kess and Head Coach Zikz

100 Thieves has announced the departure of player Drew ‘Kess’ Lee and Head Coach Anthony ‘Zikz’ Gray from its VALORANT roster.

Kess had just joined 100 Thieves in July this year, while Zikz had been with the North American organisation since 2023.

Kess has been active in the VALORANT esports scene since 2021, representing a myriad of tier-three and tier-two organisations. Prior to his contract with 100 Thieves, the sentinel/flex player competed for QoR Gaming in the North American Challengers ecosystem.

In response to last night’s announcement from 100 Thieves, Kess shared via his personal X (formerly Twitter) account: “Nothing but grateful! Still looking for any opportunities!”

Coach Zikz started his esports career in Riot Games’ MOBA title, League of Legends. In April 2022, he transitioned to VALORANT, initially coaching North American esports organisation NRG.

Zikz also worked as an Assistant Coach under Evil Geniuses’ coaching legend Christine ‘potter’ Chi during the team’s runner-up performance at Masters Tokyo 2023 and its successful VALORANT Champions 2023 run.

“Thanks to all of the players and staff close to the team that I worked with every day during my tenure at 100 Thieves – we built so many memories and achieved a great deal in these two years,” commented Zikz on his departure from 100 Thieves.

Whilst currently competing in Riot’s franchised VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), 100 Thieves has been part of the game’s competitive scene since 2020. 

Among its best international achievements are a third- to fourth-place finish at Masters Berlin 2021 and a fourth-place finish at Masters Shanghai last year.

This season, 100 Thieves failed to qualify for both Masters events, leading to the departure of in-game leader (IGL) Kelden ‘Boostio’ Pupello in July. However, during VCT Americas Stage 2, the team suffered another early Playoffs elimination despite promising Group Stage showings.

As a result, the organisation revealed major rebuilding plans for its 2026 VCT roster in September. Although the remaining four members still have contracts with 100 Thieves for another year, the roster has all been allowed to explore options during the ongoing off-season.