Mako quits 100 Thieves, The Mob: “I’m done pretending I’m okay”

100 Thieves content creator Joseph ‘Mako’ Kelsey has shocked fans by announcing his departure from the popular Los Angeles organization, along with four-man content group The Mob, to take a break from the “the plague that is social media.”

The popular Twitch and YouTube creator announced his decision in a Twitlonger shared to his personal Twitter account on Dec. 14. In the announcement, he pointed to social media ⁠— which he dubbed a “plague” ⁠— as a big reason for his shocking decision.

“I have decided to fully move back to New York and leave this content life,” the star wrote. “I’ve been thinking about this for a longgg [sic] time, and I know this may come as a surprise, but for me it really isn’t… I think it’s very overdue.”

Kelsey, who founded The Mob alongside Classify, Avalanche, and Froste, admitted he “does not want to be a content creator” anymore.

“I’m done pretending I’m okay, when I’m not. This is the lowest I’ve been… all I want is genuine happiness and I will not find that here. I love Classy, Froste, Ava… [and] they deserve someone who is going to grind every day.”

The Mob has been together for more than three years as a content group, after originally meeting through the MLG forums. Their brand has spread across Twitter and Twitch, and they were officially signed by 100 Thieves in June 2019.

Mako’s announcement appears to have blindsided the other three members of the content group, as well. The team, posting under their moniker “The Mob,” admitted Mako’s decision was “completely unexpected,” but that they support him.

“We understand his decision, and we will continue to support him as a friend and wish him well,” the group wrote. “We would like to thank Mako for everything he has done for the last 3 years, and we will never forget the memories we created together.”

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Classify, Avalanche, and Froste confirmed they would still be going on holidays over Christmas, as planned, before returning in early January. The Mob gave no indication regarding if they would replace Mako in the group.

Mako’s shock December announcement has been met by an outpouring of well-wishes and goodbye messages from the 100 Thieves family, and the internet as a whole.

Enable, who recently joined the org, stated “mental health [comes] over all,” while CourageJD said he was “proud” of Mako for “doing what is best.” BrookeAB, Hitch, and FIFA star Castro were also among the big names leaving messages.

The Mob members each left a message beneath his announcement, too. Classify declared it was an “honor” to grow alongside him, while Froste said he would miss him heading into 2021.

Finally, Avalanche simply said goodbye with a photo of the pair. “My guy, forever and always,” he wrote, and added a purple heart.

Mako also revealed he would be stepping away from “the plague that is social media” as part of an extended hiatus. “I used to check my timeline quite literally the entire day everyday and it was so unhealthy,” he said. “I haven’t enjoyed it for a long time.”

“Sorry if this all is coming as a shock, I know I never shared this side of how I’ve been feeling, but I really hope everyone can understand where I’m coming from, and if not, that’s okay too… love you all, thank you for everything.”