The Valorant community initially speculated that Sentinels was just trolling when the North American squad announced that FPS legend and popular streamer Michael “shroud” Grzesiek was joining the roster. Sentinels now has decided to make a joke of the situation with some other surprising roster updates.
shroud is a former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro who is lauded for his skills. Every shooter he plays on stream is just another game in which he is able to demonstrate his astounding mechanical abilities. But shroud previously said he
didn’t want to play with Valorant pros
due to his feeling rusty in comparison to the younger players that spend 10 hours practicing each day. For this reason, fans thought Sentinels was trolling when they announced the popular streamer was joining its pro Valorant roster.
Sentinels had to share a video to prove that the hype was real: shroud was returning to esports and competing in professional Valorant. Playing off of this streamer-turned-pro joke that gained them so much attention, Sentinels decided to suggest that Imane “Pokimane” Anys was potentially joining the team on July 15.
In a satirical tweet, Sentinels stated that they had a “roster update,” which was that Pokimane was not going to become a Valorant analyst for the team after all.
Was Pokimane going to be an analyst for Sentinels?
No. Pokimane becoming a professional analyst for a professional Valorant team was just a joke from the Sentinels.
Still, the Valorant community decided to weigh in on the roster update with an abundance of relief. Many joked that Pokimane is the “best analyst in NA,” while others said she would bring nothing to the team. One fan even said that Sentinels “dodged a bullet.”
Pokimane’s skills at Valorant have long been questioned by the gaming community. Despite her
reaching Immortal
rank, gamers have accused Pokimane of being “boosted.” Pokimane herself stated that the climb to Immortal was actually more difficult due to the sexism she dealt with if she ever communicated with her team.
Sexism in Valorant has been a topic of discussion since the game initially dropped. There have been
many instances of toxicity towards women
from popular streamers and casual players alike. The joke from Sentinels rubbed some the wrong way since it continued the narrative that Pokimane is not good at Riot’s tactical shooter, while others saw it as harmless fun.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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