The VALORANT community was left in shock after Sentinels’ star player Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo announced his retirement from competitive play at just 23 years old. The Canadian pro, one of the game’s most popular figures, boasts a global fanbase. Hence, his retirement is especially surprising for his fans and VALORANT enthusiasts, as they will no longer see him compete in the VCT 2025.
TenZ announced his decision through a video on his YouTube channel on September 15, 2024. Judging by his age and his performance last season, this is quite unbelievable for the fans as well. Many of them have reacted to TenZ’s decision on different social handles.
Community reaction on TenZ’s retirement from VALORANT Esports:
TenZ had an impressive, albeit short, career in the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), winning two international trophies. He began his esports journey in 2019 with Cloud9, initially competing in CS: GO. However, after VALORANT’s release in 2020, he switched to Riot’s new shooter full-time.
In 2021, TenZ made a high-profile transfer to Sentinels, at the time setting a world-record transfer fee. Shortly after joining, he led Sentinels to victory at the VCT Masters Reykjavik 2021, where he was named MVP of the event. Despite the team’s struggles in the following years, they made a strong comeback, winning the VCT Masters Madrid 2024, with TenZ once again playing an instrumental role in the team’s success.
After an excellent season in 2024, it is quite surprising for the fans to accept the retirement of TenZ from VALORANT Esports. After TenZ’s announcement regarding his retirement many fans and professional players reacted to that as well. TenZ’s teammate Amine “johnqt” Ouarid wished him luck for a better future while stating that he is the most talented and kindest person. Fnatic’s Derke & Boaster, 100 Thieves’ Asuna, PRX’s forsakeN, NRG’s sOm, Subroza, and many other professional players have also conveyed their supporting message to TenZ on social media as well.
Some fans are also worried about their favorite team Sentinels after the departure of TenZ along with Gustavo ‘Sacy’ Rossi, who also retired from VALORANT Esports on the same day. Some are worried that the popularity of the team might downgrade after this announcement. According to them, it will be difficult for Sentinels to fill the void of these two players, especially someone like TenZ who has been a part of this team since 2021.
However, TenZ has yet to announce his future plans. Many players in the past came back from their retirement and performed exceptionally well in Competitive once again. It will be interesting to see, if fans can see something similar with TenZ in the future or not.
