Sentinels Win NA VCT Stage 3 Challengers Playoffs

The Sentinels Valorant roster have solidified themselves as the best North American team on Sunday, August 15, with a 3-1 victory against 100 Thieves in the NA VCT Stage 3 Challengers finals. With that victory, Sentinels have secured their third straight NA VCT regional title.

A Near-Perfect Run

Sentinels entered the NA VCT Stage 3 Challengers Playoffs as the team to beat, and they didn’t need long to prove just that. Sentinels started their title run against Rise in the upper bracket quarter-finals, who fought well but fell short.

They would have won the match 2-0 had not for the minor slip-up on Ascent, which Sentinels lost with 7-13. Regardless, they pulled it together for the third map and demolished Rise with 13-4 on Bind.

Next up were the current no.2 Valorant team in NA, Team Envy. Many expected a close match, but Sentinels had other plans and won the game with 13-11 on Icebox and Haven.

With momentum on their side, Sentinels made it past 100 Thieves, who they met in the upper bracket finals. Sentinels looked better than ever and crushed 100T with 13-2 on Split and 13-8 on Haven to lock in a spot in the finals.

There, they reunited with 100 Thieves, who edged past Team Envy (3-2) in the lower bracket finals. 100 Thieves looked better this time out and even won a map, but they couldn’t achieve much more.

Sentinels proved once again why they are viewed as the best team in the region and won with 3-1. Throughout the entire tournament, Sentinels dropped only two maps of 11 played.

With that victory, Sentinels are now undefeated across their last six tournament finals. Out of those six, Sentinels won four with a clean sweep (3-0), while the remaining two ended in a 3-1 victory.

Atop Of The NA Valorant Scene

Sentinels have established themselves as the best team in the North American Valorant esports scene. They have now claimed all three VCT regional titles, which includes Masters One, Stage 2 Challengers Finals and Stage 3 Challengers Finals.

With that run, Sentinels have not only exceeded every other team from their region but achieved something no other team in the world managed to.

Sentinels announced their Valorant roster in April 2020. However, they needed until June to finalize their lineup with the signing of Michael “dapr” Gulino.

While Sentinels’ start was slow, they have consistently achieved high placements in all tournaments they’ve attended. Their first notable tournament finish happened in August 2020, when they placed runners-up at FaZe Clan Invitational.

By the end of the year, Sentinels won Pop Flash and the JBL Quantum Cup and placed top-four at First Strike North America.

Dapr and co. continued showing solid form early into 2021. They finished second at Nerd Street Gamers – Winter Championship and won their first VCT event in February.

Disaster struck in March when Sentinels lost Jay “sinatraa” Won due to suspension. However, Sentinels didn’t need long to find a replacement in Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, who elevated the team to new heights.

Following the acquisition of TenZ, Sentinels went on a tear and proved to be an unstoppable force in the region. They’ve won every tournament they’ve attended, including VCT 2021: North America Stage 2 Challengers Finals, VCT Stage 2 Masters – Reykjavik, and now the Stage 3 Challengers 1.

Thanks to their remarkable success over the last four months, Sentinels sit atop the NA Valorant scene. They are ranked first with 675 VCT Circuit Points, 425 clear of the second-placed Envy.

Sentinels Secure a Ticket For Berlin

By winning the NA VCT Stage 3 Challengers Playoffs, Sentinels punched their ticket for VCT Stage 3 Masters – Berlin. The season’s third Major is slated for September 9-19, where 16 of the best Valorant esports teams will duke it out for a spot at VALORANT Champions 2021.

The esports bookmakers have yet to start offering betting odds for VCT Stage 3 Masters – Berlin. However, with the success Sentinels have had both regionally and on the international level, it’s fair to assume that they’ll be billed as the favorites to go all the way.

Sentinels now have three weeks to prepare themselves for the tournament, where they’ll chase their ninth silverware of the year.

It’s worth pointing out that Sentinels don’t need to win in Berlin to earn a spot at the VALORANT Champions 2021. They are already locked in for the season-culminating event with their VCT Circuit Points and are the first team in the world to qualify for it ahead of time.