win.gg
Win.gg Valorant Valorant pro ShahZaM claims Sentinels picked shroud only for “hype”

Valorant pro ShahZaM claims Sentinels picked shroud only for "hype"

Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti Published 13/01/2023

It’s never a dull day in North American Valorant, where drama and beef is always brewing. This time around, former Sentinel skipper Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan is at the center, claiming shroud was picked merely for the “hype.” 

shroud had long ago stepped away from competitive play, switching to streaming as his full-time career. But, he returned to competition in a jaw-dropping announcement that set the Valorant community ablaze. In 2022, shroud joined Valorant ahead of the franchising, and while it seemed all fun and games on the surface, ShahZam is telling a different tale. 

Taking to Twitter, the G2 esports’ in-game leader ShahZam accused Sentinels of breaking their promise of getting him a franchising spot. The pro player further claimed that Sentinels cared more about the hype around their match than winning. 

The tweet came in response to Sentinel’s light-hearted comedy snippet featuring tenZ. The punchline is a spinning wheel with multiple “Tenz go kill” written on them. However, the wheel has now become meme fodder for different reasons. ShahZaM left a salty comment in reference to him being dropped out of the team after shroud joined. 

https://twitter.com/Sentinels/status/1613665497991761924

“Oh yeah, one time I spun the wheel and it landed on, ‘Please play with shroud, we don’t care if you win just make it hype. We’ll personally guarantee you a spot in franchising if you do,” ShahZaM said. 

Sentinels’ social media manager did pretty good damage control with an equally hilarious comeback but to no avail. Wheel memes are already all over the internet, and they may stay for a while. 

https://twitter.com/NRGgg/status/1613710969569705986

Sentinels’ CEO Rob Moore also responded to the former IGL, claiming that he lost his 2021 charm and acted like he didn’t want to be in the team. He also reprimanded the audience for believing everything on Twitter. 

“Do you believe everything that people post on Twitter? He also found out while streaming that he wasn’t being offered a new contract from GeorgeCGed, did you believe that also?? LOL!!,” Rob Moore said. 

ShahZaM’s Tweet about shroud stirs drama in Valorant community

ShahZaM Valorant

Whether ShahZaM’s claims are true or not, shroud’s addition to Sentinels didn’t change much — but it did cause a massive stir on social media. shroud has made a name for himself in FPS esports and is often included in the list of the best-known Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players in North America for his outstanding performances. As a member of Cloud9, shroud led his team to victories against some of the world’s top CSGO teams and a championship at ESL Pro League Season 4.

So, his return to competition was one of the defining esports moments of 2022. Unfortunately, shroud’s performance on the server was nothing to write home about. 

For now, the esports side of the internet is flooded with memes. It’s also worth noting that G2 versus Sentinels rivalry existed way before this, and the Twitter war will only add fire to the flame. 

Fariha Bhatti Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

View full profile
Read Also
MIBR vs Leviatán Esports Match Preview & Predictions – Saturday 8 August Valorant
MIBR vs Leviatán Esports Match Preview & Predictions – Saturday 8 August Owen Harsono Two of the top VCT Americas squads are set to clash in Stage 2, as the star-studded roster of MIBR will take on the reigning international champions LEVIATAN in a Best of 3 series. Here are our MIBR vs LEVIATAN VCT Americas Stage 2 predictions. If you’re planning to make a trade on this match, be sure to use our Kalshi promo code WINGGPREMAR for up to $500 in bonus ...
Kalshi Promo Code for T1 vs DRX – VCT Pacific Stage 2: Get Up to $500 Bonus with “WINGGPREMAR” Valorant
Kalshi Promo Code for T1 vs DRX – VCT Pacific Stage 2: Get Up to $500 Bonus with “WINGGPREMAR” Owen Harsono This Saturday at VCT Pacific Stage 2 will see a highly anticipated South Korean derby between flagship squads T1 and KIWOOM DRX, with both teams desperately needing this win if they want to top their group. We have looked at the prediction market Kalshi app to try and make sense of what could happen — if you're planning to trade for yourself then be sure to use our Kalshi promo ...
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Michael Hassall The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
Top 10 Best Valorant Players to Have Never Won an International Event Valorant
Top 10 Best Valorant Players to Have Never Won an International Event Owen Harsono We’ve seen countless talented Valorant players, but the reality is that not everyone can win an international trophy. Some are world-class players who have cracked aim and insane utility usage, but are still missing that one big win in their careers. Below, we take a look at the top 10 Valorant players who have never won a VCT Masters or Champions title. Cryocells has been one of North America’s best ...
These Are The Top 5 Most Broken Valorant Agents on Release Valorant
These Are The Top 5 Most Broken Valorant Agents on Release Owen Harsono Riot Games releases new Valorant agents from time to time, and let’s just say some of them were completely broken when they were first released. Of course, Riot quickly took measures and balanced them accordingly, but it was hilarious how insanely strong some of them were when they were first released. Below, we’ll take a look at the top five most broken Valorant agents upon their launch. Coming in fifth ...
Opinion: Is Esports Tracing the Same Evolutionary Path As Traditional Sports? News
Opinion: Is Esports Tracing the Same Evolutionary Path As Traditional Sports? Cecilia Ciocchetti What happens when an industry compresses centuries of sporting evolution into less than a decade or two? Communities become global audiences overnight, rivalries spread through social media within minutes, and tournaments turn into entertainment products faster than ever before. And so what took traditional sports centuries to build has taken esports a fraction of that. From local communities to sold out arenas, and from informal matches to Olympic-style events, the ...
OBS Game Capture isn’t working on Valorant and League of Legends? Here’s why and how to fix it Valorant
OBS Game Capture isn’t working on Valorant and League of Legends? Here’s why and how to fix it Khizar Mundia Several reports suggest that OBS Game Capture is broken, with Valorant and League of Legends streamers only being able to broadcast a black screen. OBS has responded to the issue, confirming that it exists and also provided a way to fix it. Valorant and League of Legends are two of Riot Games’ most popular titles, and they are being streamed on streaming platforms by creators regularly. On July 21, 2026, ...