The Valorant (VCT) 2022 NA LCQ started with a bang as Michael "Shroud" stepped foot into the esports world after five years. August 4 will be marked as a historic day in Valorant esports for bearing Shroud's return to the competitive esports with Sentinels roster.
Even with all the hype, Shroud was not the only spotlight for the team. Despite the loss, Sentinels proved to be a worthy opponent to The Guard and stole the show for the VCT NA 2022 LCQ. ShahZaM, Shroud, dapr, TenZ, and Zellsis equally contributed to the team which gave the audience some brilliant plays to enjoy.
Top 7 VCT 2022 NA LCQ plays that showcase Sentinels' talent
Sentinels have always been a strong team representing NA. Even with the losses, they never stopped training and have only improved in the long run. With Shroud returning to the esports scene in the VCT 2022 NA LCQ, the overall team stepped up a few notches.
Unfortunately, Sentinels could not win VCT NA 2022 LCQ's starting match. The Guard proved themselves to be extremely strong opponents, taking the game 2-1 against Sentinels in a best-of-three fashion.
The game itself did not conclude Sentinels' journey with this match-up, but only made their warm-up game strong for the rest of the tournament.
1) Gorgeous retake in a 2v2 post-plant
Sentinels started off strong with the first map of the VCT NA LCQ as they made countless good plays against The Guard. But this particular retake is a nice way to point out the team's on-the-spot communication.
The 15th round of the match closed off in a post-plant situation with two members of each team remaining. TenZ and Zellsis had to retake the site against Valyn and neT. As TenZ picked off neT in a duel, Valyn's Viper was left alone to stop the defuse. Zellsis was at 35HP but got the last kill against The Guard's member, taking the victory for the round.
2) TenZ and Shroud duo against 3 opponents (Map 1)
Even as the first match proved to be Sentinels' victory map in the game in VCT , The Guard put up a good fight throughout the rounds. During the 7th round, fans got to see the two aim lords of the team clutching a round.
Sentinels being the attacking team had to get the Spike planted in a 2v3 situation. TenZ and Shroud magically played the disadvantage situation. They planted the Spike while Shroud got a pick on JonahP, and TenZ finished off the last two members of The Guard post-plant.
3) Shroud's 3k on Breeze (Map 1)
In the final defensive round against The Guard. Shroud closed the match with a strong 3k with the Phantom as Sentinels took Map 1.
As Shroud took the first kill against neT, the observer soon realized something notorious was about to happen when he was off camera. As the attacking team were planning to get the Spike down in the final moments of the round, Shroud cleaned up the the last two members, Valyn and JonahP, with a single spray.
4) TenZ's 3k on Ascent (Map 2)
Sentinels started shaking a little with the added pressure of taking map number 2. However, that did not stop TenZ from making some brilliant plays of his own.
On the eighth round of Map 2. TenZ successfully stopped neT, Trent, and Valyn from planting the Spike down with a single Vandal magazine. As all The Guard players jumped from market, the Sentinels' hero just hit his shots.
The play in itself was so beautiful that the casters could not hold themselves from cheering for TenZ.
5) ShahZam's double kill with Sova Ultimate (Map 2)
ShahZam has always been praised for his heightened intellect. The Sentinels captain did not shy away from making a bold play with Sova during the second map.
When the 20th round crossed the one-minute mark, Sentinels were trying their best to get the plant down on A-site. While TenZ and Zellsis got shut down by JonahP, ShahZam came to the rescue as he unleashed the Hunters Fury. The Ultimate successfully got two kills, trading his teammates and forcing Sayaplayer to save the Operator.
6) Sentinels' low-man retake against Fade Nightfall (Map 3)
Sentinels have a knack for flawless retakes. With this round, it can be seen how the team itself has come back stronger than ever.
AsThe Guard were ready with their five members to plant the Spike on site B, Sentinels were two players down. Trent used the Ultimate to clear the site against the remaining members of Sentinels. Against all odds, dapr, ShahZam, and Zellsis retook the site with a single Sage wall, phenomenally claiming the round.
7) Shroud's god-like 4k on Icebox (Map 3)
Shroud lived up to his fame as he methodically picked out four members of The Guard during the VCT match-up. There is no doubt now as to why people look up to him in the esports world, and this particular play proves just that.
On the 25th round of the deciding map, Shroud killed the first attacker, neT, who had chosen Viper. As the round progressed towards a post-plant situation, Shroud stole the show as he shut down three other members of The Guard with the Phantom, winning the round as ShahZam defused the Spike.