Following their elimination by Xi Lai Gaming at the
VALORANT Champions Paris on Friday, Sentinels' players faced the media during a press conference to reflect on their season, discussing topics such as tangible growth, map veto, regional stylistic contrasts, and the team’s next steps.
Question for Adam "kaplan" Kaplan:
Previously, you cited communication issues as a factor in the loss to GIANTX. To what do you attribute today’s defeat?
Adam "kaplan" Kaplan: "XLG were the better team at the end of the day. I think the boys did a good job, I’m proud of them. Our energy was strong, and communication was solid. We’ve grown a lot over the year and even from the GIANTX match to now. XLG were very well prepared, executed well, and were the better team. They deserved the win.
You allowed Lotus, one of XLG’s strongest maps, and they picked Abyss, which you previously won. Was there a specific reason for these choices, and what are your thoughts on XLG’s veto?
kaplan: We can’t control what they pick. We wanted Ascent out of the way, we don’t like playing it and have been banning it consistently. As for Lotus, it’s one of our strongest maps. Since returning to this composition in the meta, I believe we’re around 10–1, give or take. We worked hard to study how they play with their Lotus comp. Even if they changed things, we felt we had a good read and were confident. I have no regrets about our veto right now, although I’ll reflect more on it later. Regarding their veto, they did well: they won our pick, banned accordingly, got Lotus, and won it. From a results perspective, their approach was effective, but we’re still comfortable with our choices.
Sentinels fans will want to know what comes next. Can you share any immediate plans as a team?
Kaplan: We haven’t had much time to think about it. I hope we can spend some time together; whether we stay in Paris longer will vary by player. We worked incredibly hard as a group, comprising the seven of us —players, coaches, and managers. I hope we can celebrate how much we gave together. Of course, we wish we had done more, but what we built is special. In the next few days, I’d like us to find moments to celebrate, enjoy, and be proud of it.
Question for Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro:
How do you begin to reflect on Sentinels’ Champions run after today’s elimination? As the second team out of the tournament, do you view this as a failure?
Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro: It’s hard to say. We’re out, so by definition that’s a failure, but I don’t want to frame it that way. As kaplan said, we’ve been growing all year. From the GX match on, we’ve struggled with slow starts, and that’s tough at an event like Champions. We’re a younger team, and starting cold hurts. Still, we’ve made clear progress, no one can fairly say we haven’t improved from the start of this roster to now. It obviously hurts because winning is the goal, but we showed promising stretches and learned from our mistakes from the first series to this one. XLG simply played better.
Question for Marshall "N4RRATE" Massey:
Having played in both EMEA and the Americas, do you think there’s a regional skill gap?
Marshall "N4RRATE" Massey: I don’t think one region is definitively above the others or especially top-heavy. Some teams are excellent at specific things, and regions have distinct playstyles, but it’s less about “who’s better at X” and more about complete team performance. Generally, there’s a lot of parity across regions.
Photo by Adela Sznajder/Riot Games
Question for Amine "johnQT" Ouarid:
From your IGL perspective, what went wrong in preparation? Did you underestimate XLG’s abilities? And on Haven, what was missing to close the map and win the series?
Amine "johnQT" Ouarid: We didn’t underestimate XLG. We knew they were strong opponents and finally had their full roster at an international event. We also knew their Haven was solid. Honestly, it’s hard right now to pinpoint what went wrong on Haven. Some rounds we mis-executed, in others it came down to individual moments. Throughout Haven, our energy and comms were good. But forming a definitive opinion without reviewing the VOD would be emotional rather than accurate, so I’d rather wait before making firm claims.
Question for Sean "bang" Bezerra:
This was your first Champions since 2022 with 100 Thieves. How do you feel about being back on the Champions stage, and how are you processing the early exit?
Sean "bang" Bezerra: An early exit always hurts. Last time we at least won a match. This time, I was really excited to play and hoped for a better result. Honestly, it’s always fun competing with this roster; these guys are great to play with. I was thrilled to make it here and to every international this year. It’s tough, but I’m still grateful for the experience and excited to watch the rest.
Question for Zachary "zekken" Patrone:
We’ve talked before about how you consistently find pockets of optimism and gratitude, regardless of circumstance. With a difficult road this year and where you’re sitting today, do you still maintain that mindset?
Zachary "zekken" Patrone: Largely the same as always. I’m grateful to be here, to compete, and to do this for a living. Losing hurts; I’m extremely competitive, and I hate this feeling. I want to keep competing. I wish we weren’t out. But I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity and I’ll keep doing my best to stay here.
What was the most valuable experience for you this season?
zekken: It’s similar to last year. I’m proud that I’m playing without fear and without regrets, playing the game I know, with my teammates, trying to activate them and myself. I’ll have a few dumb moments, make mistakes, maybe fall off the map once or twice, but I’m having a lot of fun out there. It’s an escape. Even when we’re losing, being on that stage makes me happy. I feel lucky to have that. I’m not sure that fully answers it, but that’s how I feel."
Header photo credit: Adela Sznajder/Riot Games
