After the Sentinels’ loss to 100 Thieves in the VCT Americas playoffs, Amin Junkotwaleed shared on social media that he was in “extreme pain” during and before the crucial game of the season.
The Sentinels’ season hinged on a playoff game against the 100 Thieves on July 17. The winner advances to the round and potentially qualifies for Champions of Valorant, while the loser essentially ends the 2024 season.
Before the game, there were rumors that the team was considering replacing Gustavo “Sassy” Rossi with Rahul “Cary” Nemani to give him time to grieve the loss of his beloved dog.
In the end, Sassi played and the Sentinels lost 0-2 to 100 Thieves. After the competition, Janqat revealed that he also faces issues that can affect his performance on stage.
“I’m disappointed that it’s been a tough week for us. I didn’t meet my standards. I was in a lot of pain today and had to go to the emergency room yesterday. Everything is going well. We’re fine. I’m waiting for the results,” Jonkuto told the media.
Valorant’s game director also said that he is not trying to make excuses for a possible defeat at the end of the season. However, if two team members experience psychological or physical discomfort during the game, this could affect the team’s performance and cohesion.
The Sentinels are not out of the running for Champions of Valorant 2024 yet, but their path to promotion will be tough. The team has 12 championship points, which would be enough to qualify depending on the outcome of the remaining VCT Americas playoffs.
The Sentinels began the season by winning the VCT Americas and the first major tournament of the year, the Madrid Masters. The team then faltered in the second half of the season, failing to make the playoffs at VCT Americas Split 1 and missing the Shanghai Masters.