"I'm more valuable as a support player" - SEN TenZ responds to the video of him needing coaching in Valorant

Sideshow is a prominent analyst and commentator in the Valorant competitive scene. Being an astute critic of pros and teams, Sideshow recently gained attention with his YouTube video, titled "TenZ is a problem for Sentinels. How much can he fix before 2024?" posted on September 28, 2023. To set his basis for the analysis highlighting TenZ's recent performance at the VCT Americas circuit, he says:

"The gameplay theory since 2021, why so many teams have given TenZ a shot on top rosters, is because there's so much raw potential there that has never been actualized. But unfortunately, in the last 3 years, I think he's improved slower than the field, so that bet simply hasn't worked."

Sideshow's one hour and thirty-minute long analysis video has stated a significant concern about the future of Sentinels' star player Tyson "TenZ" Ngo.

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Sideshow offers advice to TenZ on Valorant

Sideshow analyzed all of TenZ's previous matches from when the Sentinels player returned from the break he took during the qualifiers at VCT Americas. During this period, TenZ played Agents like Jett, Neon, Yoru, and KAY/O.

Sideshow emphasized TenZ's mechanical prowess, especially his ability to aim and position according to the opponent's abilities. He goes on to mention TenZ's utilization of the 'flash' ability in Valorant to isolate favorable gunfights. This allows the Sentinel star to play Agents like KAY/O and Yoru, thereby allowing his team to set up traps for their opponents. This is what he said:

"In situations in which he's not the player taking first contact, he's the one supporting and swinging off another person's contact, I think he does that a lot better than he plays the Duelist."

According to Sideshow, TenZ's personal map pool doesn't align well with Sentinels. He performs best as Kayo on Fracture, Yoru, or Jett on Bind, his favored Duelist map. However, TenZ's performance declines on maps like Haven, where the stats suggest he's okay at best. On Split, TenZ's gameplay has been predictable and poor.

There's a noticeable disparity between TenZ's performance and his team's results on maps like Lotus and Pearl, where his impact, whether positive or negative, isn't particularly significant.

Sideshow goes on to describe TenZ's performance while playing Jett on Ascent as "dreadful." He also points out that TenZ's current agent pool is a mess or "a puddle" and doesn't align with the typical Duelist or Flex player. This is what he said:

"He has played Neon against KRU, but broadly speaking, what he's played is Jett, one map of Yoru against 100 Thieves, and then KAY/O. That's not really a good Duelist agent pool, and it's not a good Flex agent pool either."

According to Sideshow's analysis, TenZ often misses tight timings on the map due to his lack of proactivity in defensive rotations. TenZ's attack entry win rate is notably low, standing at 26%. Sideshow describes that being successful only a quarter of the time during attack rounds is horrendous for an entry player.

One of Sideshow's primary concerns in his analysis of the Sentinel star is TenZ's limited spatial awareness, which hinders his ability to recognize instances of synchronized teamplay and puts him "behind the ball."

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Sentinels player TenZ's reaction to the Valorant analyst's critique

TenZ, a former CS:GO player, transitioned to Valorant and currently competes for Sentinels. He initially joined Cloud9's Valorant roster but later moved to a streaming role due to disappointing results.

In his recent response to the video critique by Sideshow, TenZ said he chose not to watch the video. He provides his rationale for being cautious about his confidence and avoiding any mental setbacks. This is what he said:

"When I played Counter-Strike and stuff I used to read like basically anything and everything about myself and I realized that it would kind of tank my mental."

TenZ finds it hard for him to describe himself as a player. Nevertheless, the Valorant Community's praised Jett player, highlights his agenda while playing the Duelist role by saying that upon being told that he has to run in, he will do so with no fear and take matters into his own hands. He goes on to share his viewpoint on the matter, aligning with Sideshow's analysis, and states:

"The best I've ever played in my life, either in CS or in Valorant, is when I'm like a second entry or I'm able to support."

He defines his playstyle as being a lot more suited for trading eliminations and maintaining numbers than initiating duels to gain advantage. He shares his thoughts about playing Agents like Yoru that fit his playstyle, allowing him to act as a playmaker while also supporting his teammates.