The man with four Major trophies is done fragging. Now he's teaching.
gla1ve just got announced as 100 Thieves' new head coach, and honestly? This might be the most important signing NA CS2 has made in years. Forget recycled EU talent on vacation visas. This is the IGL who defined an era choosing to rebuild something from scratch.
Why This Is Massive
Let's put gla1ve's resume in perspective. Four Major wins. The architect of Astralis's dynasty that made everyone else look like they were playing a different game. The guy who turned device, dupreeh, and Xyp9x from "really good players" into an unstoppable machine.
And now he's coaching. First time ever.
Some people are going to call this a retirement move. "Oh, gla1ve couldn't keep up mechanically, so he's settling for a coaching gig." Miss me with that take. This is a 29-year-old with more tactical knowledge than most coaches accumulate in a lifetime choosing to pass it on instead of grinding out two more years of mediocre fragging.
That's not giving up. That's evolution.
What 100 Thieves Gets
Here's the thing about coaching in CS2 – it's not about drawing strats on a whiteboard anymore. The game has gotten so complex that IGLs are basically playing 4D chess while also trying to hit shots. Having someone like gla1ve who's been in every conceivable situation, who's anti-stratted every team in the world, who understands how to break opponents mentally? That's invaluable.
100 Thieves' roster isn't bad. They've got talent. What they've lacked is identity. They play like five guys who showed up to the same server, not a team with a philosophy. gla1ve fixes that.
The Astralis system wasn't about having the best aimers. It was about making the other team uncomfortable. Utility usage that felt oppressive. Rotations that always seemed one step ahead. Economy management that meant they were never truly out of a game.
If gla1ve can install even 60% of that into 100 Thieves, NA has a team that can actually compete internationally instead of just making up the numbers.
The Bigger Picture for NA CS2
Real talk – NA Counter-Strike has been on life support. The talent pipeline dried up when everyone chased Valorant bags. The orgs that stayed either went budget or relied on EU imports who treated it like a working holiday.
gla1ve choosing 100 Thieves over literally any EU team says something. Maybe he sees the same thing some of us do: untapped potential in a region that's been coaching-diff'd for years.
Think about it. NA has never really had a world-class tactical mind developing players from the ground up. EU has had zonic, kassad, Snappi – people who understand the deep game. NA had... enthusiasm? Vibes?
This signing could genuinely shift things. Not overnight. But give gla1ve a year with a roster that buys in, and we might see something special.
What This Means For Your Ranked Games
"Cool story, but I'm not playing pro CS," I hear you saying. Fair. But here's the thing – the meta shifts gla1ve brings will trickle down.
Watch how 100 Thieves plays utility in six months. Study their default setups. The way Astralis played influenced how everyone from FaceIT Level 10 to Silver lobbies approached the game. When you saw someone actually smoke deep instead of just the standard crossings, that was Astralis influence.
gla1ve's coaching will create content whether he means to or not. POV demos, tactical breakdowns, new approaches to old maps. If you're serious about improving, bookmark 100 Thieves matches.
And look, if you're grinding Premier and your teammates are still pushing through smokes like it's 2015, that's not on you. The solo queue experience in CS2 is rough. Teammates who don't comm, don't trade, don't play off each other at all. Sometimes you just need to skip the coinflip and get the rank you actually deserve so you can play with people who understand the basics.
Predictions
Here's where I stick my neck out:
First six months: Growing pains. Lots of them. gla1ve is learning to coach, players are learning his system. Expect some ugly losses where you can see what they're trying to do but the execution isn't there yet.
By mid-2026: 100 Thieves becomes genuinely scary in BO3s. Their map pool gets deep. Teams start having to specifically prep for them instead of treating them as a free win.
Long-term: If the org is patient – and that's a big if in esports – this could be the foundation of something real. gla1ve isn't going to half-ass it. Either this works or he'll walk. There's no coasting.
The Hot Take
gla1ve will win a trophy as a coach before any of his former Astralis teammates do in their remaining playing careers. Put it on a t-shirt. Save this article. @ me when it happens.
The game hasn't passed gla1ve by. gla1ve just found a different way to stay ahead of it.
100 Thieves finally made a roster move that matters. Now we wait and see if NA CS2 is actually ready to learn something.