SENTINELS Are Back: Winning VCT Kickoff Through The Longest Route

After 900 days since the organization’s last appearance in an international Valorant tournament, the Sentinels have not only qualified for Masters Madrid but also won the entire VCT Americas Kickoff. The squad played the most games out of any participating team and got their revenge on LOUD in the Grand Final. 

The Hardest Path To The Finals

Sentinels had the roughest journey to the Playoffs. They began the season with a 0-2 loss against LOUD, meaning every game from then on would be an elimination series. Sentinels found form and defeated 100 Thieves and Leviatan to make it to the Play-ins. 

The boys in red pushed through MIBR and G2 to finally clinch a spot in the Playoffs. To get to the top four, Sentinels played more matches than the three other participants combined. 

Coming into the Playoffs, the road did not get any easier. Sentinels were met by NRG, the new North American superteam. After a massive comeback on the first map and stomping Demon1 on Split, Sentinels booked their tickets to Masters Madrid – a much-deserved victory. 

Revenge Against LOUD

Though the Sentinels secured their invitation to Masters Madrid, the job at the VCT Kickoff has not been done yet. They had one final match against the team that knocked them down to the Lower Bracket, LOUD. 

The two teams competed in a Best of 5 series to claim the tournament’s crown and 3 Americas VCT points, which will be crucial for qualifying for the final tournament of the year, VCT Champions.

Sunset, the reliable map for the Sentinels, was the first battleground of the match as LOUD’s map pick. A star performance from TenZ and Sacy helped their team convert their map pick into a 13-9 win. The Sentinels continued their reign and decimated LOUD on Split with the same scoreline as their match against NRG, 13-3. 

Though the series seemed over, LOUD hit back, and they did it hard. LOUD selected Icebox as the third map, a map Sentinels had not played for months. Though the game was incredibly close, the Brazilian squad could clinch a tight 13-11 game. Saadhak continued to lead his cavalry to a 13-8 victory on Bind to tie the series 2-2.

Sentinels fans in the venue thought the series was over at the end of the second map but were left on the edge of their seats with the potential reverse sweep. Fortunately, the Sentinels City can rest, as the crowd favorites decimated LOUD on the final map, Lotus, 13-4.

Won against Loud 3-2 GG’s was a crazy game! We are the champions of Americas Kickoff 🥇 Thanks to everyone who was supporting the team and excited for the future! 😎

— TenZ (@TenZOfficial) March 4, 2024

Sentinels Can Finally Rest, For Now…

After playing 21 maps of Valorant throughout the event, almost double what everyone else played, all the hard work and efforts finally paid off for the Sentinels, as they were crowned as the kings of the Americas region. What a storyline.

It had been almost three years since TenZ and Sentinels qualified for an international Valorant event. The roster can head home and get their well-deserved rest, but in ten days, they will continue their fight in Spain for Masters Madrid. 

Header: Sentinels