Sentinels continue their VCT Americas Kickoff bid by defeating 100 Thieves in an exciting 2-1 series following a lackluster opening game against LOUD.
Sentinels fans get to rejoice again as the team survived the dreaded first-round elimination game in the 2024 season. After advancing past 100 Thieves in the elimination round, North America’s beloved squad continues to play in the inaugural Valorant Champions Tour 2024 event.
The former VCT Masters team dominated their fellow North American team in the first and last maps, albeit coming a little short in 100 Thieves’ favorite map, Bind. Zekken dominated the scoreboard with 51 kills, shadowing 100 Thieves’ top scorer, Bang, with 38.
As expected by fans, the three-map series came filled with edge-of-your-seat clutches and jaw-dropping headshots that deserve multiple replays.
Sentinels exhibited early dominance on the first map, Lotus, scoring 9-3 in the attacker-sided first half. Zekken’s frags and TenZ’s debut as the controller carried the team to secure the first map win at 13-5.
However, the tides stirred differently on Sentinels’ map pick, as they only managed to score four round wins against 100 Thieves’ dominant attacking start. The second map ended on a 6-13 score, forcing a do-or-die third map against elimination.
While 100 Thieves was able to pressure Sentinels on the seemingly neck-and-neck first half, Sentinels managed to secure five straight round wins to keep their bid for VCT Masters Madrid alive.
Sentinels makes overhauled roster work with new roles
Among the most talked-about roster changes during the off-season was Sentinels’ decision to field their sixth man, Zellsis, and benching former VCT Champions Controller Pancada. The organization clarified that the Brazillian pro player had visa issues coming to Los Angeles and could not train with the team during the pre-season scrims.
Pancada’s absence left the vital smoker role vacant for Sentinels. While the team did not come short of flex players in Zellsis and Sacy, star player TenZ heeded the role’s call, to the surprise of many Valorant fans.
It is noteworthy that TenZ is widely regarded as one of the best duelist players in the early days of the Valorant pro scene, and Sentinels ran a double duelist comp with Zekken and TenZ in the last season.
In the post-match interview, Zekken shared that it took a while for TenZ to settle into his new role. However, his trust and dynamic with TenZ calling the smokes made him more confident in his plays as the team’s main duelist.
Many Sentinels fans are curious about who calls the shots behind the screens, as three roster members have previously held IGL positions with their former teams. When asked about the leading voice behind Sentinel’s decision-making, Zellsis clarifies that while most of them are willing to call the shots and strats, it is still up to newly-recruited IGL, John QT’s decision.
For their next match, the team will have to wait for the losing team in the decisive match between LOUD and Leviatán. Zekken shares that while both Brazillian teams are equally frightening regarding strategies, LOUD’s strong core team that sent them to the lower bracket is a more threatening foe.
Sentinels must fight another “do-or-die” match to keep their VCT Masters Madrid 2024 dream alive. With the organization’s star-studded roster, fans can expect more heart-dropping plays in their next game on February 23, 2024.