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VCT 2023 has been amazing to witness so far, starting off with the biggest Valorant international event ever. VCT LOCK//IN saw 30 franchised teams and two Chinese teams battle it out in a single elimination bracket. Ultimately, it was Fnatic who emerged as the champions, securing an additional slot for Masters Tokyo to represent the EMEA region.
Following VCT LOCK//IN, the franchise leagues in different regions commenced. Teams would compete against each other in a round robin format. These matches determined the top teams that would advance to the Playoffs and ultimately secure their spot to compete in Tokyo. A total of twelve teams will be in Tokyo: three from Americas, three from Pacific, four from EMEA, and two from China.
A Sentinel is the most crucial part of every team's composition. They are the ones that anchor a site and secure crucial kills with their lurks. The role of a Sentinel is a difficult one, but there are many pro players who flourish in it. Below is a list of five such Sentinel players that viewers need to look out for at VCT Masters Tokyo.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
nAts, Less, and three more Sentinel players to keep an eye on during VCT Masters Tokyo
1) nAts
Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin is a Russian esports player who currently plays for Team Liquid. He mainly plays the role of a Sentinel for his team but has also played as the Controller Viper and Initiator Fade when needed.
nAts' Valorant journey took off when he joined Gambit Esports in 2020. One of his Cypher clips on Split from a pro match went viral, which led to people calling him one of the best players in the region. nAts was able to prove his talent on the international stage as well. Gambit won VCT Stage 3: Masters Berlin in 2021, which pushed him even further into stardom.
nAts joined Team Liquid for VCT 2023, which was one of the biggest roster moves in EMEA. nAts had a total ACS of 222.4 in the EMEA League while playing five different Agents for his team. He is easily one of the strongest Sentinel players going into VCT Masters Tokyo.
2) Less
Felipe "Less" de Loyola Basso is a Brazilian esports player who plays for LOUD. Less has mainly filled the roles of the Sentinel Killjoy and the Controller Viper for his team when needed.
Less has been a part of LOUD since February 2022. His biggest win with the team was during Valorant Champions 2022. This was the first time that a non-NA/EMEA team had won an international championship.
Less is an intelligent Sentinel player that brings a lot of value to his team. He has impeccable aim and has turned the tides of a match for his team when required. Less had an ACS of 234.2 in the franchised league, putting him in the top four players in VCT Americas. Any team that goes against LOUD should always consider Less as a huge threat.
3) Alfajer
Emir "Alfajer" Ali Beder is a Turkish esports player who plays for Fnatic. He has mainly played Sentinels Killjoy and Cypher for his team. He has also played the role of the Duelist as Raze in the past.
Alfajer has been with Fnatic since May 2022. He was one of the best players last year and displayed incredible skill in the highest levels of competitive play. Alfajer also seems to be having an amazing 2023 as he was able to win VCT LOCK//IN with his team. He also had a total ACS of 230.9 in the franchised league, which put him among the top four players on the leaderboard.
4) Victor
Victor "Victor" Wong is an esports player from the United States who currently plays for NRG Esports. He has fulfilled the role of a Sentinel for the most part but has also played as the Initiator KAY/O, Duelists Neon and Raze, and even the Controller Viper, making him a very flexible player.
Victor and his former team OpTic Gaming were able to find massive success in 2022. This roster, with a few new additions, went on to form NRG's new Valorant team.
Victor's individual skill is off the charts, but the best part about him is how he is able to perform well on multiple Agents. This allows the team composition to constantly evolve during a tournament and introduces an element of unpredictability. Victor had a total ACS of 221.5 with six different Agents in the Americas League. This put him in the top ten players on the leaderboard.
5) Rb
Goo "Rb" Sang Min is a South Korean esports player who plays for DRX. He has fulfilled several roles for his team ranging from the Sentinel Killjoy to Controllers Astra and Harbor. He has also played as the Duelist Neon.
Rb started out as the Jett player for his team but later shifted to a more flexible role. Surprisingly, he was able to have the same impact in these different positions. Rb is a solid anchor in a site and is able to hold out and even get multiple frags during critical situations. His ability to consistently win crucial duels has played a pivotal role in turning rounds in favor of his team.
Rb had a total ACS of 178.7 in the VCT Pacific League. However, this score was a result of the fact that he played nine different Agents for his team, most of them being support roles.
The role of a Sentinel is underappreciated, but it is undeniably one of the most crucial positions in a team. A skilled Sentinel player can make a significant impact by securing crucial rounds for their team and acting as the last line of defense.
