Sentinels Risk Early Elimination At VCT Americas Stage 1

The world championship team, the Sentinels, is struggling in the regional Stage 1 tournament. They could potentially be eliminated in the Group Stage, and their chances of advancing to the Playoffs are incredibly slim.

From World Champions To Last Place In Groups?

Sentinels had a miraculous run at the VCT Americas Kickoff, the first regional Valorant tournament of 2024. Despite being one game away from elimination throughout the entire event, johnqt led the team to win the entire event, qualifying for the first international league of the year, VCT Masters Madrid. 

Surprisingly, Sentinels went on to win the entire tournament after displaying impeccable performances on all five players. They defeated the best teams in the world and won the Grand Final match against Gen.G to win the organization’s first title in almost three years. 

However, it may seem like Sentinels only had a short peak, as they went from dominating global competition to struggling in their own region. The defending champions currently sit at the bottom of the board with an unsatisfactory 2-3 record and only one match left to play. The Sentinels are in 5th place, requiring at least 3rd place to secure an appearance in the Playoffs.

TenZ and company dropped the ball against Leviatan and LOUD, which are two of the top candidates in the league; nothing to be too ashamed of. However, the biggest concern was their loss against Evil Geniuses, which was a massive upset that sent waves to the community. 

Being up 1-0 in the series against EG, Sentinels finished the first half of the second map with a 10-2 scoreline, making it look like an unthrowable game. However, the stars aligned for potter and her boys as NaturE and jawgemo carried the team to a reverse sweep to take the series. 

What Can Sentinels Do To Qualify For Playoffs?

The Sentinels only have one final match, which is against FURIA. The Brazilian squad is also doing terribly in the opposite group, with a 0-4 record. On paper, this is a must-win match for Sentinels, and they have all the resources to pull off a quick victory. 

The first condition the Sentinels must meet is they have to win the series against FURIA convincingly. It is very important that they close the series with a 2-0 win, and try not to lose too many rounds. Round differentials could be a key factor to determining how the squad finishes their Group Stage placement.

However, winning against FURIA isn’t the only outcome that has to happen. Being in a pickle, the Sentinels must depend on the result of other teams. 

The Sentinels are hoping for two outcomes:

• G2 must lose their match against LOUD, requiring the Brazilians to win 2-0.
• NRG must lose their match against 100 Thieves, requiring another 2-0 score. 

If G2 or NRG wins a single map, the Sentinels are likely done for. These results must be perfect, meaning the chances for Sentinels advancing to the Playoffs are extremely low. 

Header: Sentinels