Sentinels’ Dominance in the NA VALORANT Scene: Are They the Best Team?
Sentinels has been clearly dominating the North American VALORANT scene. They have won first place in three out of their last four tournaments, defeating their competitors with ease and taking home a significant portion of the prize money. Many argue that they are the best team in NA.
According to Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan, they are “by far” the best team in NA.
Consistency is undoubtedly a crucial factor in their success, but it’s not the only one. Sentinels have achieved the right balance of players with different gaming backgrounds. The team consists of former CS:GO, Overwatch, and Apex Legends pros, each bringing something unique to the table. In addition to their adaptability and quick reactions, ShahZaM believes that they have found the perfect formula for success.
ShahZaM explains, “We have nobody that’s demanding to play a certain agent or anything like that. People are very open to play any agent that we think works tactically for the map… We’re just very flexible.”
While teammate Jay “sinatraa” Won is often praised for his hyper-aggressive playstyle and considered the best player in the game, the team’s strength doesn’t end there. Each player on Sentinels can contribute to winning a round and is capable of playing any role as needed.
Some critics have questioned Sentinels’ roster, as it includes players who switched from Overwatch and Apex Legends rather than having a full roster of CS:GO players. TSM coach Taylor “Tailored” Broomall expressed concerns about their long-term consistency, citing the lack of a solid CS:GO background among some players. However, ShahZaM believes that their diverse gaming backgrounds give them an advantage in reading the game differently, as CS:GO players tend to be less open-minded due to their stubbornness and ego.
Sentinels and TSM fans were hoping for a rematch following their clash in the FaZe Clan Invitational finals. However, TSM faced two losses against Dignitas in the Pop Flash Ignition Series, preventing the rematch. Meanwhile, Sentinels only lost one map throughout the tournament, dominating Envy in the finals and securing a $25,000 prize. ShahZaM doesn’t view TSM as their biggest threat and believes that if a team is good enough, they will make it further in the bracket.
Cloud9 is the only team that managed to win a map against Sentinels, making them a potential threat. While ShahZaM admits that their best-of-three against Cloud9 was challenging, he maintains that Cloud9’s strategic gameplay falls short compared to Sentinels, allowing them to secure the victory.
However, Sentinels cannot afford to become complacent. Being at the top means the only way to go is down, and ShahZaM is well aware of that. T1, FaZe Clan, and 100 Thieves are still formidable competitors, and Sentinels must stay vigilant.
“We can’t get too comfortable because there are other equally talented teams coming for us. They will be aiming to take us down,” ShahZaM asserts.
Sentinels, VALORANT, NA scene, dominance, best team, CS:GO, Overwatch, Apex Legends, diverse gaming backgrounds, flexibility, criticism, TSM, Cloud9, competition, complacency.