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TenZ Retires from Competitive VALORANT
The face of Sentinels and VALORANT esports: Tyson “TenZ” Ngo has announced his retirement from competitive VALORANT.
From being the first VALORANT player signed as a professional to lifting the first international trophy in Reykjavik, the 23 y.o. Canadian has had an illustrious career and his retirement marks the end of an era in VALORANT esports.
The face of VALORANT
TenZ was one of the first Counter-Strike players to switch to VALORANT. In the early days, TenZ dominated the scene and became the first “VALORANT” ranked player in the world. He also became the first 'professional' player, when Cloud9 signed him in April 2020, months before the game's official release.
In the tournaments that followed the official release of VALORANT, TenZ’s Cloud9 was very much a one-man show. The team never managed to find a strong footing and fell behind the more competitive teams such as TSM and Sentinels.
TenZ’s big break came in 2021, when he joined Sentinels, the VCT 2021 North America Masters winners. He was a stand-in for Sinatra, and helped them conquer North America to qualify for VCT Masters Reykjavik 2021, the first international event. At the event, TenZ dominated the competition and led Sentinels to a flawless run, becoming the first international VALORANT champions.
The win etched TenZ's and Sentinels' names into the history books and made them a household name. Following their victory at Reykjavik, TenZ was also made a permanent member of the squad, a post he would hold for the next 3 years.
The only silver lining - TenZ
Following their Reykjavik triumph, TenZ and co. were on top of the world and were easily the crowd favorites for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, while Sentinels continued to dominate domestically, internationally their performance worsened.
They placed 5th-8th at Masters Berlin and were grouped at the following Champions 2021. 2022 was even rougher and the only saving grace for Sentinels was TenZ’s performance. Throughout the year, the team struggled to qualify for international events and concluded the year after an early NA LCQ exit.
Despite these struggles, Sentinels’ strong fan base helped them secure VCT partnership. However, VCT 2023 saw more challenges, as the team continued to fall short of replicating their 2021 success, even with notable roster additions.
The return of the King
After an early end to 2023, Sentinels started preparing for 2024. They made key changes to the roster and took risky but necessary decisions. The early preparation paid off, as Sentinels once again became a championship-winning team, lifting the trophy for the Americas Kickoff tournament, albeit with struggles. With the win, they qualified for an international tournament for the first time in two years.
At Masters Madrid, Sentinels only lost a single game before lifting the trophy once again. TenZ was one of the strongest performing players on the squad, helping them win crucial rounds and clutching the rounds to secure another title.
The rest of the year was tough, with Sentinels missing Shanghai but managing to qualify for VALORANT Champions 2024.
At Champions Seoul, Sentinels were seeded into an impossible group. With the odds stacked against them, they did the impossible, defeating the tournament favorites, Gen.G, to make it out of the 'group of death'. TenZ was the best player on the squad in that match. In the playoffs, however, Sentinels fell to EDward Gaming and Team Heretics, finishing fourth overall.
Outside the server, the SEN bundle was one of the hottest-selling bundles, bolstered by the popularity of TenZ and the team.
The end of an era
With 2025 in sight, everyone expected TenZ to return to server, delivering more amazing moments. However, earlier today, the superstar announced that he will be retiring from competitive VALORANT.
In the video announcing his retirement, he touched on how he had planned to retire this year, irrespective of the results. He had communicated the same with his teammates before Champions Seoul.
When discussing the reason for his retirement, TenZ said:
“A big question would be why? Playing as a pro player, it's definitely a big time commitment. You're committing your entire life to be the best.
It is a lot of work and can be quite tiring. There's just a lot of stuff that I want to do outside the game that I'm very ambitious about. Stuff that I definitely needed more time in my own schedule in order to chase after.”
Towards the end of the video, TenZ also thanked all his teammates, Sentinels and the fans for their support.
As fellow fans of VALORANT at Strafe, we also thank TenZ and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
Featured Image Credits: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
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