Matthew Haag

Lore & Background

Haag was a former captain of OpTic Gaming in the 2014 Call of Duty: Ghosts season, but stepped down before the 2014–2015 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare season, playing the objective support role. He won a gold medal at X Games Aspen 2014 and the 2011 Call of Duty XP World Champion, winning Best eSports player at The Game Awards 2014. He is a former Red Bull esports athlete and participates in the Twitch streaming program. Haag was previously sponsored by Astro Gaming and Scuf Gaming. He also runs a YouTube channel with over 3.2 million subscribers and over 270 hours of content.

In Their Own Story

The lights dimmed over the arena, but Matthew wasn't looking at the stage anymore. He sat behind the monitors in the production truck, watching his former teammates execute strategies he had helped design years ago. The headset was off; the controller was retired. Now, the game was about building something that would outlast any single tournament run.

Reader's Guide

Haag was born on August 3, 1992, to Jeff and Christina Haag. He has a brother Kevin and sister Sarah. He attended Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois, and graduated in 2010. He completed a two-year course in business studies at Moraine Valley Community College. Prior to competing in competitive gaming, Haag worked at a McDonald's restaurant. His gaming handle 'NaDeSHoT' originates from 'grenade shot', a lethal move in the Halo series. He was a competitive amateur in Halo 2, switched to Gears of War, and made his professional debut on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare at age 16. He became a member of OpTic Gaming in June 2010, became captain in 2014, stepped down after a seventh-place finish at the 2015 Call of Duty Championship, and left OpTic in 2016.

Did You Know?

• Haag won the 2011 Call of Duty XP World Championship, earning $100,000 as part of OpTic Gaming.
• He won an X Games Aspen 2014 gold medal, but never won an MLG championship as a player.
• Haag founded 100 Thieves in 2016 as a lifestyle brand and gaming organization, not as a clan.
• He was a former captain of OpTic Gaming, not a member of Team Dignitas.