VALORANT’s esports scene is always evolving, but several athletes remain since the title’s launch as competitive veterans. NA legend TenZ, who won the game’s first-ever Masters event in 2021, is one such household name. After competing under the team Sentinels for several years, TenZ shifted to content creation in 2024 but remained on the group’s roster. Now, TenZ has announced he has “parted ways” with Sentinels after several years. Here’s everything we know about the decision and what it means for VALORANT esports.
When esports fans think of VALORANT, they think of Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo. After shifting to the title from Counter-Strike in 2020, TenZ became its first breakout star and quickly claimed a place among the VALORANT greats. He is also a popular content creator, with nearly 2.5 million YouTube subscribers and 4.4 million Twitch followers.
On May 8 2025, TenZ posted on his official X.com account announcing that he has officially “parted ways” with Sentinels after nearly four years with the team. The post contained a picture of Sentinel’s 2024 roster at TenZ’s final Masters Madrid win, showing teammates Zellsis, Zekken, Sacy and johnqt. The post has since reached over 475,000 views and 25,000 likes.
TenZ stated his gratitude for his time on the team, saying “it was an amazing ride and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything else.” He also praised Sentinels’ team members and staff, commenting that the group was “a true family” for him and that the ending is “A little bittersweet but I’m excited for this new chapter of my life.”
To close his post, TenZ stated:
“I appreciate all the Sentinels fans for the continued support throughout my career and hope you continue to support the team even with my absence. All good things must come to an end, goodbye Sen City it’s been fun.”
Community Reactions
VALORANT players and fans have emerged in droves to share their support and offer thoughts about TenZ’s departure. Leviatán player C0M was among them, calling the decision the “End of an era.” Fellow content creator and star Sage main Grim also replied, saying “My year is ruined” with a broken heart emoji.
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TenZ originally pursued Counter-Strike esports, beginning his career in 2016 at age 15. In 2019, he joined North American org Cloud9and continued playing CS:GO for a year before shifting to VALORANT upon its launch in 2020.
While on Cloud9 Blue, TenZ quickly caught the VALORANT community’s attention. As the COVID pandemic resulted in worldwide lockdowns and pushed a large population to gaming and social media, TenZ started to go viral for his fast reflexes and flashy clips. His montages dominated TikTok and YouTube, often inspiring other gamers to start playing VALORANT.
In March 2021, VALORANT’s Masters Reykjavik tournament began. Fellow NA org Sentinels acquired TenZ on loan for the event and emerged victorious. This made TenZ a member of the first-ever roster to win a VALORANT Masters event, securing his spot forever in the game’s legacy. Sentinels promptly moved to sign him permanently after the win, making him an official teammate on June 1, 2021. TenZ would remain on Sentinels’ active lineup for several years.
While TenZ never won a VALORANT Champions event, he qualified for two (Champions 2021 and Champions 2024) while on the team and performed well in them. In March 2024, TenZ and Sentinels also won VALORANT Masters Madrid. This marked his second Masters victory.
On September 14, 2024, TenZ announced he would retire from competitive VALORANT while remaining on Sentinels’ roster as a content creator. He explained, “There’s a lot of stuff I want to do outside the game, that I’m very ambitious about.” Sentinels posted a tribute on X.com, stating TenZ would remain “forever the face of VALORANT.” Nearly a year later, TenZ has now fully parted ways with the organization.
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Since he began playing in 2020, TenZ has been one of the most well-known VALORANT players. He was the first athlete to become a household name in the game and attracted a massive audience with his esports accomplishments. Though TenZ’s competitive career in VALORANT only lasted four years, his legacy in the title will undeniably remain much longer. The community will always remember him as one of the players who won the first-ever VALORANT Masters in Reykjavik 2021, and he has become a pop-culture phenomenon among gamers.
TenZ’s time on Sentinels also had a large influence on North American esports. Traditionally, NA teams have struggled in the FPS world, with the community dubbing countless athletes ‘NA’s last hope’ as a meme. Sentinels defied all the odds by defeating international competitors and becoming a worldwide presence on the VALORANT battlefield. Can NA maintain its VALORANT clout as the esports scene evolves and raises a fresh generation of competitors?
TenZ’s departure from a signed VALORANT org signals a larger shift away from esports in general, with him likely pivoting his focus further into content creation. This opens up space for a new athlete to claim a place as the next VALORANT prodigy. The world will be watching as Masters Toronto draws closer and new faces fight to influence the ever-changing esports landscape.
