Nadeshot addresses 100 Thieves layoffs amidst stream controversy

Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag has responded to community backlash regarding the timing of his Roobet streams and 100 Thieves‘ recent layoffs.

The 100 Thieves founder addressed the controversies during a stream on September 8th, stating he received notification of the layoffs on September 5th, one day after arriving in Mexico for his scheduled Roobet partnership stream. In other words, the timing was all a coincidence.

According to Nadeshot, he hasn’t served as CEO of 100 Thieves for nearly two years and only attends quarterly board meetings. His last communication with the executive team occurred during a board meeting in late July, where potential layoffs were discussed but not finalised.

“I got a text on the 5th, Friday morning, that they hope I’m enjoying Mexico and just wanted to provide me with an update that they were laying 12 people off that day,” Nadeshot said during the stream.

The streamer emphasised that the Mexico trip had been scheduled weeks in advance by his wife, who is 37 weeks pregnant. He explained that his streaming schedule through January had already been arranged due to their upcoming child’s birth. Nadeshot also addressed criticism of his sponsorship, citing his audience demographics to counter concerns about underage viewers.

The timing of the layoffs coinciding with the gambling stream announcement created significant community backlash on social media platforms. Nadeshot expressed understanding for the criticism while maintaining he had no advanced knowledge of the finalised redundancy plans.

“I’m honestly ashamed of it,” he said, regarding past involvement in layoffs during his time as CEO. “The people that are affected by those layoffs, those are the people that we should feel empathy for.”

For the 12 employees affected by the recent layoffs, Nadeshot expressed hope they would ‘find a great place, land on your feet.’ The controversy highlights ongoing tensions in the gaming and esports industry regarding gambling partnerships and corporate restructuring.

100 Thieves has not yet provided additional comment on the layoffs beyond Nadeshot’s stream statements.

Nadeshot concluded by acknowledging his explanation might not change opinions but insisted he was providing ‘the God’s honest truth’ about the situation’s timeline and his current role with 100 Thieves.

With his role at 100 Thieves and as an individual content creator, Nadeshot has been involved in many different business ventures over the years. He launched energy drink brand Juvee and secured a partnership with Excedrin to address gaming-related headaches. 100 Thieves has seen many changes in its business during this time, most notably announcing its exit from League of Legends’ LTA North.