After Sentinels’ Valorant Champions Tour Masters Iceland victory, the org has bought Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo from Cloud9 for $1.25 million, and the Curveball team have a lot to say about the VCT’s star player.
TenZ has etched himself into the Valorant esports history books throughout the title’s insane rise in the competitive sphere. Initially loaned to Sentinels to fill in for Jay ‘Sinatraa’ Won during his suspension, the 20-year-old has propelled the squad to dominant victories during the VCT.
In this episode of Curveball, Mitch ‘Mitchman’ McBride, James ‘BanKs’ Banks and Daniel ‘fRoD’ Montaner sit down to discuss the buyout and what it means for the future.
Sentinels’ ShahZam: a true VCT Master
While many teams came into VCT Masters Iceland with renewed staff and rosters, BanKs commends Sentinels’ Shahzeb ‘ShahZam’ Khan for taking on the weight of his team and leading them to an insane victory.
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Frod commends the player for his adaptability, as he’s proven countless times that he’s able to flex into different Agent classes in order to make things work for his team. Possibly the lack of coaching staff is what’s led to this, as he’s the one calling the shots.
The former CS:GO pro has clearly developed a wealth of knowledge, and it’s impressive to see how he’s applying it to Valorant.
Is NA Valorant’s best region?
Mitchman also hails ShahZam’s remarkable rise to glory but points out that North America seems to have a very skilled pool of players to choose from.
Considering more and more competitive FPS players are flocking to Riot’s flagship title, the depth of knowledge that they bring with them, coupled with their instinctive knowledge of the game, makes the NA player pool a force to be reckoned with.
Do Sentinels need a coach?
Short answer: no. Frod believes that, if the team continues the way they’re going, there’s no need for an extensive coaching staff.
Every player on Sentinels has proven that they can step up, and if ShahZam ever needs help carrying the load, the Curveball crew believe his teammates will be waiting in the wings to help. It’s that faith that’s helped them become “a different beast.”
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TenZ has “fit like a glove” with the squad
As Mitchman notes, Sentinels “haven’t had a lot of time, they’re putting in TenZ, he has fit like a glove, he’s been beautiful to watch.”
He believes that TenZ has “improved them [Sentinels] a lot, but in order to do so he had to find his flow with the team and blend it. Looks like he’s done that perfectly.
Are NA teams more “predictable”?
Of course we all remember Team Liquid’s Adil ‘ScreaM’ Benrlitom at the VCT press conference calling Sentinels “very predictable.” Mitchman states that “he’ll give it to you for some teams, I’ll give it to you for some EU teams as well though.”
“When it comes to Sentinels they are not a team that fit the region, I think they’re far and above, in my opinion, and I think in the opinion of pretty much every team that came to Iceland.”
Frod agrees, noting that “you can’t predict the mayhem that the individual is bringing to the table,” and this is certainly the case with Sentinels.
Will TenZ stay with Sentinels?
Considering TenZ earned himself the title of MVP at the first-ever international Valorant Masters tournament, Mitchman remarks that “I don’t even want to think about how much that is going to cost Sentinels if they want to buy him now. That is going to be the only factor.”
“Anyone who decides they don’t want TenZ has been lobotomized, you need him on your team. He is the best player in the world right now” he concludes.
Frod agrees, noting that “I don’t think we’ll ever be able to see TenZ have that kind of similar success, and playstyle, and positivity, and just the vibes that he’s got, on a different team.”
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