"In Shroud we trust": Sentinels' first match at LCQ shatters NA Valorant viewership record with the icon's return

Everyone has been eager to see Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek back in action with his new team ever since his return was announced.

Sentinels started off its campaign in the Valorant Champions Tour North American Last Chance Qualifier against The Guard. Although the match ended in defeat, all eyes were on the NA team's latest addition to their roster.

Shroud made his competitive return after a period of five years, and a large number of people tuned in. A new NA viewership record was thus set.

According to Esports Charts, the match brought in a peak viewer count of 608,385, which set a record for NA Valorant. Viewership numbers are combined from the official broadcast stream, the tarik co-stream and others. The previous record for the most viewed match was also in a Sentinels match.

Shroud made his name in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, where he was known for his time with the outfit Cloud9. He retired from the game back in 2017 and shifted to streaming while pulling in a considerable number of viewers consistently.

When Sentinels finally announced the legend's return to the fray back in July, everyone was eagerly waiting to see him back in action.

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LCQ match against The Guard ends in defeat for Sentinels, Shroud makes a mark

It's no surprise that esports fans came in droves to see one of their favorite athletes test his mettle at the Valorant Champions Tour North American Last Chance Qualifier.

Although for a losing cause, Shroud made his mark in the game, especially in the first map Breeze. He notched up 17 kills and 10 assists with Viper and helped his team secure the map.

Despite Sentinels putting up a valiant fight over the next two maps, The Guard played spoilsport and managed to eke out a well-deserved victory. At the end of the match, Shroud amassed a total score of 39/ 59 /25.

Many fans took to social media to cheer for the returning player. Many tuned in simply to see his return. The match's viewership numbers only highlight the love and adulation that fans have for him.

After a number of successful runs in 2021, Sentinels has had a disappointing streak in the current year. The team has failed to make an appearance at an international tournament and has gone through a number of changes, one of which is the addition of Shroud.

The loss to The Guard pushes Sentinels down to the lower bracket. The team will have to improve immediately if it hopes to keep its dreams of making it to the Valorant Champions 2022 alive.

Sentinels' next opponents are yet to be decided at the time of writing.