Sentinels: What happened to the supposedly “best team” in North America VALORANT?

Sentinels have lost all hope to qualify for the VCT Stage 2 Playoffs. What has happened to the beloved Sentinels?

Sentinels were easily considered one of the most prominent organizations in VALORANT. Not only did they show their initial dominance in NA but also on a global platform. However, this dominance lasted for half a season. Although, fans didn’t lose hope.

But ever since they won their first VCT Masters in 2021, it has been nothing but a series of disappointments. Their latest futile attempt at qualifying for the NA VCT Stage 2 Playoffs was the final nail in the coffin and Sentinels have officially become a joke in competitive VALORANT.

Also read: “Damn, they didn’t even need a plane to go home”: G2 Twitter trolls Sentinels after their 0-4 loss in NA VCT Group Stage, Sentinels responds

What went wrong with Sentinels?

When VALORANT was gaining traction in the competitive scene, they were at the top. But their playstyle was soon studied by other teams. Their roster was a star-studded one with TenZ, ShahZam, Sickk, Zombs and Dapr. But their gameplay was mainly dependent on TenZ fragging out. He is their primary Duelist and is easily one of the best aimers in VALORANT. TenZ’s aim and rudimentary strategies got them their first trophy. But soon they were exposed in further seasons and tourneys.

It is not that the boys in red were playing badly, it is just that other teams in NA and other regions just got better. The more time they got, the more strategies, agent compositions and aim practice other teams got. Sentinels on the other hand seemed content with their one trophy and never pushed more. Some would even say they focused on streaming more than scrims and practice.

Their downfall from a Tier 1 organisation can also be credited to their lack of coaching and structure. They played most of NA VCT Stage 1 without a coach. The only change they made was adding Kanpeki to their roster instead of Zombs, which did not make a huge difference. They lacked the practice, passion and hunger to win more. These are factors that other teams clearly have. What do you think led to the downfall of Sentinels?

Also read: Sentinels announce on Twitter that SEN SicK will be taking an extended leave due to “family matters”; SEN Rawkus to replace SicK for the remainder of Stage 2 challengers