The 31-year-old veteran Howard "rain" Nygard sat down for a long talk with HLTV ahead of the Roman Imperium fixtures. Now the new captain of 100 Thieves for Counter-Strike 2, he peeled back the curtain on the revamped lineup and didn't hide that switching roles has been awkward at times.
Comical amnesia and the mid-call problem
He still laughs about his first official matches calling the shots. At the very start of freeze time he froze up—literally—and waited for someone else to tell him what to do; only after a beat did it click that he was supposed to give the orders now. Funny, but telling.
The harder, not-so-funny bit has been the mid-rounds. After years at FaZe Clan where players often took initiative, rain was used to a freer, more individual game. Now, with 100 Thieves, the team needs a new decision-making fabric in the middle of rounds—built up almost from zero. (e.g., who rotates, who peeks, when to trade—those are the tiny gears that have to mesh.) He admits it’s been a learning curve.
Demands to management and respect for teammates
Taking the captain’s seat came with conditions. Rain insisted the org provide a strong, influential coaching group—i.e., people who would take on the bulk of prep and analysis so he could focus on executing plans in-game. That was non-negotiable, he says.
He also spoke plainly about the squad itself. Nicolai "device" Reedtz has been grinding behind the scenes, doing whatever it takes to chase old form. And William "sirah" Kjærsgaard surprised him — in a good way — with energy on TS, concise requests, and rotation calls that make sense. Rain labelled sirah a "positive surprise"; the kid’s voice and timing stood out.
Rapid rise of the roster
Results followed sooner than some expected. Under rain’s leadership they ousted Ninjas in Pyjamas at Roman Imperium Cup V, made the final of DraculaN Season 5, and pushed into the top 40 of the VRS global list in a matter of months. Not flawless progress, but momentum is visible — and, to be frank, a little exciting.