KC N4RRATE: "I want to regain my confidence"

After switching teams and returning to North America, Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey is now making the reverse move and returning to Karmine Corp. Following a loss to Team Liquid on the first day of the 2026 VCT EMEA Split 1, the player spoke about his performance and his team’s.

Between frustration over the loss, a lack of momentum during the match, and individual struggles, N4RRATE offers us a clear-eyed assessment of a game he considers, overall, unsatisfactory. He also discusses his adjustment to Karmine Corp, an environment he finds familiar despite the necessary adjustments, as well as the team’s ambitions for the VALORANT season, with an eye toward qualifying for international events.

Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey: “Obviously, I’m not feeling great. We lost, and it didn’t feel very competitive on the second map. The first map was closer, but overall, we struggled to build momentum. I don’t think we won a single pistol round today; we lost all four, which made things really difficult. We had a bit of momentum on Haven attack, but we made a couple of mistakes. Overall, it just sucks. We lost.

N4RRATE: One positive I can highlight is Avez (Hazem Khaled). He did a really good job translating what he does in scrims into official matches. If this is really his first time IGLing, then he’s doing a great job. He supports the team well and brings good structure. Once we start meshing better as a team and improve individually, I think we’ll go much further.

N4RRATE: To be honest, it wasn’t a good performance from us as Sentinels. There were a lot of things we could have done better. Most of our matches were very close, like FURIA. We just weren’t good enough to close them out and prove we’re a strong team. Individually, Kickoff was hard for me. I wasn’t playing well.

Waylay is a very technical agent, and I just wasn’t at the level I needed to be. On other agents, though, I felt good. Even on the main duelist, I’m still confident. But for now, I’ll stick to what I do best: scan / Initiator. It’s easier for me to join a new team to play something I already know and have experience with. It just fits better.

N4RRATE: To be honest, it's not like I expected it, but obviously, like y'all see the occasional post of like “Ho N4RRATE/KC”, whatever. And then, like when this guy started raiding me, it was just like insane chat spam. I don’t think it influenced my decision or anything, but it was definitely cool to see such an insane fan base to support me.

N4RRATE: It feels very similar to before. The structure, the office, the coaching staff, and even how all work are pretty similar. MAGNUM (Martin Penkov) and Avez also have similar calling styles and energy, so it feels natural. The biggest challenge for me has been adapting to the team, especially with all the different compositions and ideas we tried early on. But overall, things are going well.

N4RRATE: I think what I bring to the team is what I always bring: strong mid-round ideas, good game sense, and the ability to play around my teammates. I can give good information and make the right plays at the right time. Right now, my main struggle is individual performance during matches.

N4RRATE: There’s no perfect meta, but if I had to choose one I didn’t play in, it would be Chamber meta. It was slower, more strategic, and required smart decision-making. I think it would have been really fun to play.

N4RRATE: As a team, we want to make Masters London or Champions Shanghai, maybe even EWC. Reaching at least one international event would be very important. Individually, I want to regain my confidence. I feel like I’ve lost some of it. Once I get it back, you’ll see it in my performance.

N4RRATE: KC fans are incredible. They support us so much. Thank you for all the support, even before I joined. Hopefully, we can deliver strong performances for you.”