Sentinels leave the chance to qualify for Masters Shanghai to the hands of other teams, while Zekken points to being “burnt out” as the reason behind their sinking performance.
Valorant fans were delighted to see Sentinels regain their former glory in their early dominance in VCT 2024. As the first team to win a Valorant international trophy, many eyes are peeled on TenZ and the red shirt’s journey – from rise to downfall to their renewed status on the top.
However, based on their current standing at VCT Americas Stage 1, Sentinels’ second bid at greatness seems to be a short-lived tale.
The North American team suffered consecutive losses and slid down to the last rank in their respective group, leaving their chances of making the playoffs bleak and in the hands of other teams.
Sentinels players quickly addressed the situation before Valorant fans could even throw their tomatoes and type “washed” comments. Aside from TenZ’s comments on post-game social media posts admitting the team is out of shape, Zekken expounds in an interview with Pedro Romano that the team feels “burnt out.”
Many fans understood the Sentinels’ tough predicament of living up to expectations. Among the pro team’s appeals going into Masters Madrid was being the only team to play nearly every possible stage—even going through the loser’s bracket and playing the most rounds in the Kickoff Tournament.
Moreover, Sentinels rarely had practice time before VCT Americas Stage 1. Their IGL JohnQT was caught in a visa limbo, which led him to arrive in Los Angeles with barely enough time to rest for their first match against 100 Thieves.
The two-week preparation for the regional tournament also proved taxing for fellow Americas representative, LOUD, as the dominant Brazilian team only nabbed their first win of the split against Sentinels themselves.
This is not the first time players have voiced their concerns regarding VCT 2024’s tight schedule. Even before the start of the season, many players and coaches raised their eyebrows at the seemingly nonstop events, with the lowest-ranked teams playing as few as 12 matches for the year.
Even Valorant fans expressed their dismay at the extremely taxing schedule of the current season.
Despite the setback, Zekken says Sentinels hopes to bounce back for further success on the next regional split after Masters Shanghai. Sentinels almost have a sure slot to VCT Champions at the end of the year, given that they score more wins on VCT Americas Stage 2.