It’s one of the most exciting times of the year as the VALORANT NA LCQ is coming to an end and we almost have our second representative of the region. Round 1 and 2 in the VCT 2022 North America Last Chance Qualifier have concluded with Evil Geniuses and Shopify Rebellion out of the competition, but there is one team that is looking to pull-off a miracle.
Even though they haven’t been looking that great in their matches, Sentinels is still the most followed team in the LCQ thanks to the transfers they made during the preparation process. The addition of Shroud, one of the biggest names in gaming and esports, created hype around the team and helped to dispel the bad vibes.
Their biggest issue is that their opening match of the event wasn’t optimal. The tournament opener versus Stage 1 champions The Guard was messy and they looked utterly outclassed. They did however, dispatch Shopify Rebellion in the lower bracket with relative ease.
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But fans got really excited as Shroud was the main differentiator. In their first match of the LCQ, Shroud utterly flopped and was more of a burden than help, but in series two he was an absolute menace bringing Sentinels a much needed W. While he couldn’t find his footing in the first series, he definitely did in the second.
Most players in Sentinels retain somewhat similar performance metrics across series and opponents. Shroud seems to be the differentiating factor for the team right now. Granted, being a differentiator can be said for any player that has performance swings, but in Shroud’s case, the entire team seems to execute on a whole different level when he’s having a good time. In their next match, Sentinels will need the best Shroud he can offer if the dream run is to continue.
100 Thieves are seen as favorites in the upcoming match from the get-go due to season performance. But are they? Well, 100 Thieves are coming into this series after a tough loss to FaZe Clan. In both of their series at the event, the Thieves looked like either a godlike team or a rollover depending on map selection. Their duel with Sentinels will mostly come down to draft and map bans.
Arguably Shroud’s favorite map, Heaven is the map we are looking at as highly contested between both teams. It has the makings of being a series maker or breaker. Bind or Breeze can go either way if played, while Icebox is likely going the way of 100 Thieves. With each team having a must win and likely loss, having a favorable pick-ban is essential.
Of course, we are assuming all players perform at their absolute peak. In case Shroud or any of the Sentinels don’t, this may end up a 2-0 sweep.With the next matches of the VALORANT North American Last Chance Qualifier coming very soon, make sure to check out our VALORANT betting page where you can find all the best sign up offers and free bets available.