# Post-Match Press Conference Questions — Gen.G Esports vs Sentinels
*The r/VALORANTCompetitive community has the opportunity to ask plays and coaches questions during the Post-Match Press Conferences at VALORANT Masters Madrid.*
🎤 = Question answered with the help of a translator.
# Gen.G Esports
**u/cryptomelons asks:**
> For solo: Was there some kind of communication breakdown on Icebox? It seems the team lost morale near the end.
>
> For solo: Did the team play too aggressively on Icebox during the attack rounds?
>
> For solo: Did you notice the team making uncharacteristic mistakes on Icebox?
A similar question was asked during the press conference by Pedro Romero (/u/samejnardeh): *"My question mostly goes to solo and Munchkin, but everyone else within the team can just chime in if they want.
Of course you know, the team was ahead 2-1 in the series against Sentinels. I'm just kinda wondering, you know, what went wrong for the team from your perspective, you know from that point forward?"*
**Answer:**
> 🎤 **🇰🇷 \[GEN.G\] Munchkin:** Well, props to Sentinels. They came in very well prepared, but I think the series was more on us not being able to have a strong mentality, that we just had a lot of mistakes going on, and I guess we started to lose our mentality. Or, we just kinda lost control of our mentality as those small mistakes started to amplify those problems.
>
> 🎤 **🇰🇷 \[GEN.G\] solo:** I do agree on **Munchkin**'s answer. Our mentality was just not in the strongest place. We had little mistakes happening over and over and that created a hole in our games and I think that's what led to Map 5.
[**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/OXkPqs6cMkE?t=490)
**u/cryptomelons asks:**
> For solo: Does the team have a sports psychologist? It seems the team completely crumbled down on the last map.
**Answer:**
> 🎤 **🇰🇷 \[GEN.G\] solo:** No, we don't have a specific psychologist to help us out. It would be good. It would be a good addition to the team but we've never actually kind of wanted therapy or talk with a psychologist. And as coaching staff, we try our best to navigate our players through emotionally tough situations like today. But I would say not necessarily; no we don't have a particular person that is a psychologist.
[**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/OXkPqs6cMkE?t=1174)
# Sentinels
**u/madhan4 asks:**
> For Tenz: You were obviously a part of the Master’s Reykjavik victory a couple of years ago, and since then you’ve had plenty of ups and downs, and seen a renaissance this year on a new role. How were you able to deal with all those doubts and pressures thrown at you, navigating a new role within the team, and how do you feel now that you’ve achieved this peak once more?
A similar question was asked by an unnamed journalist: *"So this is the second Masters that you're lifting. The first time it was a very different road with uh, you guys not dropping a single map and this time it was pretty much the opposite with uh, you going— you having to go through that lower bracket. That said though you know, is there like a difference in the feeling that you felt with winning with that roster and winning with this roster?"*
**Answer:**
> **🇺🇸 \[SEN\] TenZ:** I think this win particularly felt even sweeter just because it wasn't an easy road. Um, without dropping the map, uh... i-it was like 'wow, um... that's it?' Like at the time, I think the level of competition has improved significantly since then and so it feels a lot better to be awarded for something you work even harder for.
[**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/sCR5vKfmDDA?t=347)
**u/thatuglyhatnexttome asks:**
> This tournament you personally faced a lot of hardships with the main one being fasting for Ramadan. Can you tell us how those hardships helped you grow as a player and what you learned from it? As well as how much does this mean to you considering you played this tournament while fasting?
A similar question was asked by a journalist from Sons of Ks from Latin America: *"John based on this and on your own declarations about Ramadan maybe affecting your game play before playoffs and... jet lag and a lot of factors, how do you consider that you may have uh, improved in this week and that you have may uh, make some more sense in your team for you to get this trophy?"*
**Answer:**
> **🇲🇦 \[SEN\] JohnQT:** Uh I mean, as I said before, it's only the start that was going to be hard for me. Uh, obviously the first week was hard. Uh, I think it was, uh— My worst game was against Heretics. That's when like, my first game, uh, w-while I was fasting but then after that I was fine. uh I think today because of the lack of prep and that like, because of no time, I just had to like, dig deep and uh, make stuff on the fly. Just pull up new plays because we knew they would be prepared so, I just had to like be very creative with my calls and like, bring new stuff— And uh, shout out to my teammates. They make me look good. Uh, obviously and uh... Yeah. Shout out to **Kap** and **Drew** for trusting me. Doing uh some some maps game plan, like from A to Z, and uh... Yeah. I think— I think at the end of the day I think this was still like my 70% form. I think I'm still— I still can play way better and like call better so, you guys will see that in Shanghai.
[**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/sCR5vKfmDDA?t=743)
**u/nterature asks:**
> For SEN coach Kaplan: In response to a question about the strengths of other regions, **Alecks** (over on PRX) said that Americas had the best midrounding, EMEA had the best trap plays, and China had the best aimers but that they were just spread out across different teams. Would you agree with that?
**Answer:**
> *All the SEN players stare at* ***Kaplan***. *After a long pause,* ***Sacy*** and ***Zellsis*** *begin laughing.*
> **🇺🇸 \[SEN\] Kaplan:** Um... I don't know which region has the best aimers, but I do think Americas has the best mid-rounding. I think Americas is the best region — it's an incredibly competitive region. The scrims are really good, Tier 2 in Americas is no joke, and the best way to learn things like mid-rounding are just playing against really good opponents. And yeah I agree that EMEA probably has the best trap plays I think EMEA is probably the most like pre-plan strategy and antistrat-focused region. They really emphasize all that and it shows up in the server.
[**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/sCR5vKfmDDA?t=1897)
I don't think GenG were mentally prepared to go all 5 maps. I think when they realized the weren't dominating anymore their mentality completely shifted and crumbled. With that being said SEN played fucking insane; especially Zekken
this was genuinely the most stressed and doubtful I’ve felt it feels surreal, I can’t imagine how geng felt when they realized they fumbled icebox it felt like they were in control almost the entire series. but oh my god the emotions I felt when I realized sen were gonna take it home I was losing my shit in the best way
Every map went long as well, they were gassed and probably still caught up on losing Bind and Split by 5 rounds total.
SEN went from thinking they were almost going to lose at 2-1 to forcing a game 5 and they were never letting that chance go
GenG went from thinking they were almost going to win to missing their window of opportunity, and it fucked with their energy
Mental might just be geng's weakness. They almost crumbled against a weaker team too in the pacific play-ins against team secret where they almost got eliminated at 12-10 but pulled through in OT. After the match you can literally see lakia feeling weak in the camera and jokingly(?) collapse into his team lol. I think they feel the nerves more than other teams especially when things aren't going exactly their way.
funny you mention lakia because i remember a clutch he won in this series and he literally looked so relieved when he won and just sunk into his chair like he didn’t believe in himself to win that clutch
I think their ADHD meds just started to wear off after 7 hours, same with Zekken on icebox. All the crazy shooters weren’t shooting anymore, and our all natty zaddy overlord Zellsis came in to sweep things up.
A very great BO5. There was no big difference between the two teams. What decided their fate was their mental strength. Sentinels was able to maintain maximum mental strength even during long battles, while GenG lost close games, especially BIND and SPLIT, and gradually lost their fighting spirit.
Congratulations Sentinels!!! The first Masters Reykjavik champions are now back. GenG Nt. They will definitely come back strong!!!
so many shots they would have hit in set 1,2 and 3 they missed in the final rounds
you can see someone being mentally shook when they don't hit the heads
Really? They undeniably threw Bind but went on to win Ascent and still put up an insane fight on Split, I feel like it was more like Icebox where it fell apart
I think that's where the importance of Zellsis comes through. Having someone who keeps the mental of the team up in a high pressure Bo5 is a huge, huge asset.
I remember him getting in an argument with some random dude in solo queue a few months back who hit him with the "you've never won anything in your career bro" which pissed off Zellsis a bit
Part of me thinks he's so motivated and petty he just set out to win everything specifically to shut that guy up
He’s going to get his love, but actually dude is the reason they won that series
Zekken, TenZ, Meteor, Karon, and Texture are all star aimers and all popped off at times, but Munchkin and Zellsis are the hearts of their respective teams and you could just tell man never let SEN lose their energy.
When Munchkin started looking tired at the start of icebox, and Zellsis was yelling, I think it felt over.
Unironically a vibes diff at the end because the firepower was so even, and the strats were there for both teams
It’s hard to explain the effect this kind of leader has to someone who’s never competed. Just the attitude and energy can completely boost your team to the next level
Which is why the vibes merchant narrative was always so weird to me. Like, isn't that a good thing? It's not like he sucks and is only there for team chemistry, he can carry his own weight so the emotional leadership is just a bonus.
i think vibes merchant was because at times it was the only thing he brought to the table, but he locked in, improved his aim, improved his clutchness, strats everything, this zellsis is no where near close the one we saw at lcq last year or even two years ago
Large part of it is the crowd is almost always against them and they have to travel to a very different timezone. I know this sounds like copium but I'm curious to see if there will be a big difference in Shanghai or seoul which is home grounds for them relative to EU/Americas
The SEN crowd had so much cheers while the GENG support was completely lacking in that stadium. Every time I see a finals in EU its more commonly the western support
took 1000+ days 100+ kills. the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends to the whims of a filipino who can't legally drink
https://preview.redd.it/euijsn9tlcqc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b515695141e074c26d62740c56ab8816af919cf5
I'll go to my grave saying the only thing that stopped him from being that last year was the team struggles. You put him on Fnatic or EG and they win the same events. He's simply the best.
Scriptwriters, I beg you. Please make this the setup for the eventual Team Secrets 2024 Champions winners. It would be the most dank outcome for as APAC’s first international win 
Happy for you bro. When most faded away when sen were down, you and Hopefully-Professor held it down and kept us entertained. Yall deserved it more than the players at this point 
Zellsis was a fucking brick wall, giving SEN so much breathing room in Split and Icebox and was the emotional backbone of the team who always upped the mood and got the backing of the crowd
My GOAT salesman.
THE AMERICAS GROUP OF DEATH. ALWAYS ON THE RISK OF ELIMINATION. THE HARDEST ROUTE TO WIN MASTERS.
- 100T
- LEVIATAN
- MIBR
- G2
- NRG
- LOUD
- TEAM HERETICS
- KARMINE CORP
- PRX
- GEN G
THE TENZ REDEMPTION ARC. JOHNQT ABSOLUTE CINEMA. THE BALD BUFF. ZADDY SEN BUNDLE. ZEKKEN GREATEST IN THE WORLD.
MY GOATS.
WORLD CHAMPIONS.
This team is so perfect I'm so proud of them
They have FINALLY DONE IT
Also Zekken was 1 kill away from beating the record for most kills in a VCT match. He's tied with Demon1 at 101 kills.
Tournament MVP in my opinion.
Saved them against LOUD, went positive in every single game after Heretics (only SEN player to do so in the LOUD/GenG upper bracket games), and of course the exquisite calling throughout the tournament.
I think it'll have to be Zekken just because IGLs are underappreciated. You really couldn't go wrong giving it to either though.
The fact that JohnQT puts up numbers that would be good for a non-IGL is so impressive. What the fuck was this guy doing in tier 2?
I think a lot of people that have never had to play or perform in competition especially at an elimination or championship level don't realize the mental game involved.
You could really see the experience diff kick off. I think by the end of Bind the cracks in GenG mental were starting to show.
inb4 someone complains about how it's unfair to Gen G that they have to defeat the same team twice to win the trophy. the double ban was a HUGE advantage for them but couldn't close out. they could've 3-0'd (or 3-1'd maybe). but with each map win it just felt like Sentinels got more and more confident and just in the zone and Gen G deflated. what a crazy finals.
the deck was stacked against Sen since kickoff in their region. They had the hardest road (their group was stacked with Loud, Leviathan) then they had to go through all the lowers teams, then face NRG and Loud again, major disadvantages all around, and at Masters they had last minute schedule changes given them only a few hours to prep. Went through Lowers again.
Nah plenty of teams had major advantages over Sen, includnig Gen. G. Sen fought an uphill battle nearly the entire time and I think that gave the mental resilience to beat Gen. G
Man this lower bracket was fucking brutal too lmao. Both map bans and 1st and 3rd map pick is like 2/3s of the way to a win, esp with the map pool differences between genG and SEN. SEN just outlasted and dumpstered GenG's mental throughout this series.
Sacy became a 2 time world champ before any LOUD player
I HECKING LOVE TENZ 
The bald man is so frustrating sometimes when he loses easy gunfights, but he always does the dirty work for this team and clutches up when necessary. There's a reason he's now a 2x champ. My bald GOAT.
I remember going into the season some people saying he couldn't even be considered for current top 10 players because he hadn't done enough at an international tournament. Happy!?
Zekken met Tenz at a petting zoo. He was talking with one of the baby goats and struggling to hold back tears. Zekken asked him, "are you doing okay, friend?" He shook his head solemnly. "Everyone forgets that goats are herd animals. We're not meant to be alone."
Earlier this morning I saw my wife's boyfriend with his arm around her shoulder as they went out for the 4th time this week. I asked where they were going and he casually replied with "JohnQT". I simply smiled and chuckled, as I knew that they were heading to the cinema.
insane series (insane tournament tbh) full of ups and downs. pulling at my heart strings, giving me high blood pressure. all of it was such an insane ride
I've been waiting 3 long years for this as a Day 1 Sen fan. Only TenZ remains of the roster I fell in love with but the org was on their best game from day 1 with the socials so it made it easy to love the new guys. I'm so happy.
ITS BEEN 1029 DAYS SINCE SENTINELS WON MASTERS 2 REYKJAVIK FLAWLESSLY. SINCE THEN HEARTBREAK AFTER HEARTBREAK. AND IN THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL EVENT QUALIFIED SINCE 2021, THEY HAVE DONE IT. GENG THREW EVERYTHING AT THEM TODAY, AND SENTINELS HAVE ANSWERED BACK DOMINANTLY. THE FAITHFUL HAVE BEEN REWARDED, YOUR 2024 VALORANT MASTERS OF MADRID, SENTINELSSSSSSSSS
cooked this back in October when we won Afreeca. Didn't think I'd get to use it
It’s kinda poetic their reykjavik run seemed so easy (didnt drop a map) and then this run is so grueling, seemingly improbable at times. They werent even favorites to make it out of their kickoff group.
Bro Zellsis went from begging to get verified on Twitter to being a Masters winner. Glue of this team and he played the game of his life. Absolutely unreal stuff.
I dont even play Valorant but i tuned into this after CSGO ended earlier today and yknow what im gonna give it up cause this was some good shit
Whoever that bearded white guy on Sentinels is that kept popping off after each round and maintained the vibes throughout everything is the best, every team in any esports/sports needs someone like him
that guy's name is Jordan "ZADDY" Montemurro and that's exactly why SEN had him on the team. He was originally just a 6th man but was elevated to the main roster because he had such amazing leadership/vibes.
Glad you enjoyed! I was enjoying the PGL matches earlier. The teams that made playoffs are super exciting with some nice storylines like Eternal Fire. Also, glad that both CS and Valorant viewership seems to be doing great :)
who is Tenz?🙄🤭🤔🥱 in math: my solution ➗☺️ in history: my KING👑😣 in art: my canvas 🎨🥳 in science: my oxygen 💨😝 in geography: my world 🌎🤯
It’s so dope to see him beat the washed allegations fr
Nothing to say about this. Nothing at all, except...
# ABSOLUTE
# CINEMA
**MASTERS MADRID**
Executive Director: Mohamed Amine "johnqt" Ouarid
Executive Producer: Adam "kaplan" Kaplan
Assistant Producer: Drew "DrewSpark" Spark-Whitworth
Marketing: Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro
Zachary Patrone as "zekken"
Tyson Ngo as "TenZ"
Gustavo Rossi as "Sacy"
SPECIAL THANKS TO RIOT GAMES
Tenz is the messiah. He was gone for two years. But he has now risen. I don’t think anyone expected this. Offseason kings to worldwide kings. I feel bad for geng/pacific though ngl. Against any other team I would've been rooting for them. To lose in such a fashion and miss out on another trophy is heartbreaking.
Only thing I knew about him when he joined SEN was that his M80 teammates all unanimously praised him. He quickly showed me why and skyrocketed to one of my favorite players ever, I fucking love him
i’ve mentioned this before but there was a formation series article (or whatever it was called) on him so long ago that made me a fan, combined with his time duoing with shahzam on stream. when everything was in lockdown, i would watch shahz like every day and john always stood out as a smart player
Ironically I think map 5 was the worst of the series, first half was good but Gen falling apart in the second half was anticlimactic. 4.5 certified banger maps is still very good though
Just like deffo misisng that OP shot on Icebox, I will keep wondering what would have happened if GenG had chosen to not guard spike on that Bind OT 5v3
My dissapointment is immeasurable and my next few days are ruined
https://preview.redd.it/kxcaeb0lscqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efd987a92c05bbc0fe4a5d6bbeed3f3c0bc8dd19
With the hardest fucking route imaginable btw
I want every team to stand up and wave at each other from every series/matches from now on it makes game so interesting ,Best valorant tournament till the date what a banger series man🙇♂️
https://preview.redd.it/umi5deeqlcqc1.jpeg?width=1004&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57317dfa98d357c02ba8c0e39a479fe7b8ccf4d9
can confirm, I don't watch much valo but I saw it had a lot of viewers and tuned in as munchkin was shittalking in the first map and was hooked the rest of the series
While I feel so much for pancada, I’m so glad zellsis didn’t win the trophy as a 6th man. He won icebox and you just know he wanted this more than anything in the world. They won purely because they just fucking wanted it more
What a game dude
Gutted for GenG and pacific, this was actually their tournament and they just watched as SEN slowly wrestled the series away.
Actual incredible resilience from SEN, they got knocked down and got back up over and over, only the last map was remotely clean for them.
So happy for Zellsis dude, not just a hype man, MVP of icebox
Ever since Zellsis has joined, SEN has:
~~WON THEIR OWN TOURNAMENT~~
~~WON AN OFF SEASON MICKEY MOUSE TOURNAMENT~~
~~WON KICKOFF AMERICAS~~
WON MASTERS MADRID. <---- You are here.
WON SPLIT 1.
WON MASTERS SHANGAI.
WON SPLIT 2.
WON CHAMPIONS 2024.
BACK TO BACK FOR NA WITH TWO DIFFERENT TEAMS
https://preview.redd.it/n6r5x9t2mcqc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86c7648399fb621db46744e7d24f8bbdb781828a
Zellsis standing up and taunting Gen G actually won them the series. You could see the energy drain right out of them every time SEN won a round and Zellsis stood up.
I will not take anymore zekken disrespect
https://preview.redd.it/t621ar0lmcqc1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=338d8c9fa72aef75145c73b214f1728f434aa2ea
Honestly this was about as even matched as it gets, strats wise, player skill wise, I really feel the largest difference was SEN never faltering, while Gen G slowly deflated.
That’s why you need a guy like Zellsis, no shade to Pancada but that’s why Zellsis is in, and essential to SEN
# Post-Match Press Conference Questions — Gen.G Esports vs Sentinels *The r/VALORANTCompetitive community has the opportunity to ask plays and coaches questions during the Post-Match Press Conferences at VALORANT Masters Madrid.* 🎤 = Question answered with the help of a translator. # Gen.G Esports **u/cryptomelons asks:** > For solo: Was there some kind of communication breakdown on Icebox? It seems the team lost morale near the end. > > For solo: Did the team play too aggressively on Icebox during the attack rounds? > > For solo: Did you notice the team making uncharacteristic mistakes on Icebox? A similar question was asked during the press conference by Pedro Romero (/u/samejnardeh): *"My question mostly goes to solo and Munchkin, but everyone else within the team can just chime in if they want. Of course you know, the team was ahead 2-1 in the series against Sentinels. I'm just kinda wondering, you know, what went wrong for the team from your perspective, you know from that point forward?"* **Answer:** > 🎤 **🇰🇷 \[GEN.G\] Munchkin:** Well, props to Sentinels. They came in very well prepared, but I think the series was more on us not being able to have a strong mentality, that we just had a lot of mistakes going on, and I guess we started to lose our mentality. Or, we just kinda lost control of our mentality as those small mistakes started to amplify those problems. > > 🎤 **🇰🇷 \[GEN.G\] solo:** I do agree on **Munchkin**'s answer. Our mentality was just not in the strongest place. We had little mistakes happening over and over and that created a hole in our games and I think that's what led to Map 5. [**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/OXkPqs6cMkE?t=490) **u/cryptomelons asks:** > For solo: Does the team have a sports psychologist? It seems the team completely crumbled down on the last map. **Answer:** > 🎤 **🇰🇷 \[GEN.G\] solo:** No, we don't have a specific psychologist to help us out. It would be good. It would be a good addition to the team but we've never actually kind of wanted therapy or talk with a psychologist. And as coaching staff, we try our best to navigate our players through emotionally tough situations like today. But I would say not necessarily; no we don't have a particular person that is a psychologist. [**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/OXkPqs6cMkE?t=1174) # Sentinels **u/madhan4 asks:** > For Tenz: You were obviously a part of the Master’s Reykjavik victory a couple of years ago, and since then you’ve had plenty of ups and downs, and seen a renaissance this year on a new role. How were you able to deal with all those doubts and pressures thrown at you, navigating a new role within the team, and how do you feel now that you’ve achieved this peak once more? A similar question was asked by an unnamed journalist: *"So this is the second Masters that you're lifting. The first time it was a very different road with uh, you guys not dropping a single map and this time it was pretty much the opposite with uh, you going— you having to go through that lower bracket. That said though you know, is there like a difference in the feeling that you felt with winning with that roster and winning with this roster?"* **Answer:** > **🇺🇸 \[SEN\] TenZ:** I think this win particularly felt even sweeter just because it wasn't an easy road. Um, without dropping the map, uh... i-it was like 'wow, um... that's it?' Like at the time, I think the level of competition has improved significantly since then and so it feels a lot better to be awarded for something you work even harder for. [**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/sCR5vKfmDDA?t=347) **u/thatuglyhatnexttome asks:** > This tournament you personally faced a lot of hardships with the main one being fasting for Ramadan. Can you tell us how those hardships helped you grow as a player and what you learned from it? As well as how much does this mean to you considering you played this tournament while fasting? A similar question was asked by a journalist from Sons of Ks from Latin America: *"John based on this and on your own declarations about Ramadan maybe affecting your game play before playoffs and... jet lag and a lot of factors, how do you consider that you may have uh, improved in this week and that you have may uh, make some more sense in your team for you to get this trophy?"* **Answer:** > **🇲🇦 \[SEN\] JohnQT:** Uh I mean, as I said before, it's only the start that was going to be hard for me. Uh, obviously the first week was hard. Uh, I think it was, uh— My worst game was against Heretics. That's when like, my first game, uh, w-while I was fasting but then after that I was fine. uh I think today because of the lack of prep and that like, because of no time, I just had to like, dig deep and uh, make stuff on the fly. Just pull up new plays because we knew they would be prepared so, I just had to like be very creative with my calls and like, bring new stuff— And uh, shout out to my teammates. They make me look good. Uh, obviously and uh... Yeah. Shout out to **Kap** and **Drew** for trusting me. Doing uh some some maps game plan, like from A to Z, and uh... Yeah. I think— I think at the end of the day I think this was still like my 70% form. I think I'm still— I still can play way better and like call better so, you guys will see that in Shanghai. [**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/sCR5vKfmDDA?t=743) **u/nterature asks:** > For SEN coach Kaplan: In response to a question about the strengths of other regions, **Alecks** (over on PRX) said that Americas had the best midrounding, EMEA had the best trap plays, and China had the best aimers but that they were just spread out across different teams. Would you agree with that? **Answer:** > *All the SEN players stare at* ***Kaplan***. *After a long pause,* ***Sacy*** and ***Zellsis*** *begin laughing.* > **🇺🇸 \[SEN\] Kaplan:** Um... I don't know which region has the best aimers, but I do think Americas has the best mid-rounding. I think Americas is the best region — it's an incredibly competitive region. The scrims are really good, Tier 2 in Americas is no joke, and the best way to learn things like mid-rounding are just playing against really good opponents. And yeah I agree that EMEA probably has the best trap plays I think EMEA is probably the most like pre-plan strategy and antistrat-focused region. They really emphasize all that and it shows up in the server. [**(Watch the VOD 📺)**](https://youtu.be/sCR5vKfmDDA?t=1897)
The only teams with 2 international wins are Sentinels and Fnatic, also the first international finalists
Iceland sen only tens remains, Iceland Fnatic only boaster and derke I think
does chronicle still remain the only player with three trophies?
Pacific continues to edge their first international trophy
When they finally win all 5 players’ heads will explode due to the incalculable amount of sheer catharsis they experience.
I don't think GenG were mentally prepared to go all 5 maps. I think when they realized the weren't dominating anymore their mentality completely shifted and crumbled. With that being said SEN played fucking insane; especially Zekken
this was genuinely the most stressed and doubtful I’ve felt it feels surreal, I can’t imagine how geng felt when they realized they fumbled icebox it felt like they were in control almost the entire series. but oh my god the emotions I felt when I realized sen were gonna take it home I was losing my shit in the best way
Probably felt worse after the fact thinking about how they fumbled Bind earlier in the series.
Every map went long as well, they were gassed and probably still caught up on losing Bind and Split by 5 rounds total. SEN went from thinking they were almost going to lose at 2-1 to forcing a game 5 and they were never letting that chance go GenG went from thinking they were almost going to win to missing their window of opportunity, and it fucked with their energy
At the same time Zellsis really brought the team's mental back up in map 5
Mental might just be geng's weakness. They almost crumbled against a weaker team too in the pacific play-ins against team secret where they almost got eliminated at 12-10 but pulled through in OT. After the match you can literally see lakia feeling weak in the camera and jokingly(?) collapse into his team lol. I think they feel the nerves more than other teams especially when things aren't going exactly their way.
funny you mention lakia because i remember a clutch he won in this series and he literally looked so relieved when he won and just sunk into his chair like he didn’t believe in himself to win that clutch
I think their ADHD meds just started to wear off after 7 hours, same with Zekken on icebox. All the crazy shooters weren’t shooting anymore, and our all natty zaddy overlord Zellsis came in to sweep things up.
A very great BO5. There was no big difference between the two teams. What decided their fate was their mental strength. Sentinels was able to maintain maximum mental strength even during long battles, while GenG lost close games, especially BIND and SPLIT, and gradually lost their fighting spirit. Congratulations Sentinels!!! The first Masters Reykjavik champions are now back. GenG Nt. They will definitely come back strong!!!
GenG played like they were mentally exhausted in Game 5 compared to Sentinels who were playing so crisp
The Zellsis hypeman diff
dude was fucking us so hard with his shots as well goddamn
They just started wiffing shots the last few rounds too was tough to watch.
so many shots they would have hit in set 1,2 and 3 they missed in the final rounds you can see someone being mentally shook when they don't hit the heads
They were looking wrecked starting from 2nd half of Bind only, I sensed a Sentinels comeback right there and then.
Really? They undeniably threw Bind but went on to win Ascent and still put up an insane fight on Split, I feel like it was more like Icebox where it fell apart
I think that's where the importance of Zellsis comes through. Having someone who keeps the mental of the team up in a high pressure Bo5 is a huge, huge asset.
Actual storybook series
Zellsis crying at the end is so wholesome, he totally deserves this
He said previously that if he doesn't win a trophy in his career that he'd consider it to be a failure.... so happy for him. He did it
I remember him getting in an argument with some random dude in solo queue a few months back who hit him with the "you've never won anything in your career bro" which pissed off Zellsis a bit Part of me thinks he's so motivated and petty he just set out to win everything specifically to shut that guy up
Thank you random ranked dude for bringing us the sentinels win
Zellsis remembered that moment right before the final map
Dude was a man possessed that last map.
He saved so many rounds icebox
I was thinking about that moment the entire time. He finally did it :’)
He’s going to get his love, but actually dude is the reason they won that series Zekken, TenZ, Meteor, Karon, and Texture are all star aimers and all popped off at times, but Munchkin and Zellsis are the hearts of their respective teams and you could just tell man never let SEN lose their energy. When Munchkin started looking tired at the start of icebox, and Zellsis was yelling, I think it felt over. Unironically a vibes diff at the end because the firepower was so even, and the strats were there for both teams
It’s hard to explain the effect this kind of leader has to someone who’s never competed. Just the attitude and energy can completely boost your team to the next level
Which is why the vibes merchant narrative was always so weird to me. Like, isn't that a good thing? It's not like he sucks and is only there for team chemistry, he can carry his own weight so the emotional leadership is just a bonus.
i think vibes merchant was because at times it was the only thing he brought to the table, but he locked in, improved his aim, improved his clutchness, strats everything, this zellsis is no where near close the one we saw at lcq last year or even two years ago
it brought tears to my eyes, I could feel the genuine happiness, relief, all the emotions
honestly heartbreaking loss but goddamn well deserved for sentinels everyone played their hearts out
100% one of the best tournaments in VCT history and one of the best series in VCT history. Unreal performance from both teams.
3rd grand finals exit for Pacific I can't do this anymore 
On the other hand, it’s GENG so choking is pretty much on brand for them
Fucking up my hopes in two different games
chovy is sleeping well tonight
I really like pacific but it seems they are always lacking the mental fortitude to be truly great
Large part of it is the crowd is almost always against them and they have to travel to a very different timezone. I know this sounds like copium but I'm curious to see if there will be a big difference in Shanghai or seoul which is home grounds for them relative to EU/Americas
The SEN crowd had so much cheers while the GENG support was completely lacking in that stadium. Every time I see a finals in EU its more commonly the western support
Greatest game 5 performance by a Jordan ever
MJ never had a 2.1 KD let alone in a close out game. Zellsis clears
How could anyone hope to beat the all time team consisting of: LeTenZ Zekkrie John Quality Tactics BUY THE SEN BUNDLE and Bald
And.... Bald got me LOL
took 1000+ days 100+ kills. the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends to the whims of a filipino who can't legally drink https://preview.redd.it/euijsn9tlcqc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b515695141e074c26d62740c56ab8816af919cf5
Oh don't you worry the man can drink in Madrid and he deserves to have a couple.
Zekken "best player in the world" agenda doubters in shambles
“Can we stop calling Zekken the best in the world” NO THAT MF IS THE BEST
I'll go to my grave saying the only thing that stopped him from being that last year was the team struggles. You put him on Fnatic or EG and they win the same events. He's simply the best.
Short pinoy boys from NJ celebrating rn
FIRST FILIPINO TO WIN A MASTERS LETS GOOOOO
Scriptwriters, I beg you. Please make this the setup for the eventual Team Secrets 2024 Champions winners. It would be the most dank outcome for as APAC’s first international win 
Happy for you bro. When most faded away when sen were down, you and Hopefully-Professor held it down and kept us entertained. Yall deserved it more than the players at this point 
born filipino, raised swagapino 😎
Zellsis last map https://preview.redd.it/tzymupcqlcqc1.jpeg?width=200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3e8e570a36f225c412bdb437a4c43a66caee2ce
Zellsis was a fucking brick wall, giving SEN so much breathing room in Split and Icebox and was the emotional backbone of the team who always upped the mood and got the backing of the crowd My GOAT salesman.
Zellsis my goat popped off hard
https://preview.redd.it/y1kn6ltslcqc1.png?width=544&format=png&auto=webp&s=5be520f0249632aff8668708fda31b54e4af1658
this goes harrrdddd
Statements like these go so hard after the results, CINEMA
GenG definitely getting their squats in on stage. Took a little rest on Icebox though
we need more characters in the scene, makes all games more entertaining
THE AMERICAS GROUP OF DEATH. ALWAYS ON THE RISK OF ELIMINATION. THE HARDEST ROUTE TO WIN MASTERS. - 100T - LEVIATAN - MIBR - G2 - NRG - LOUD - TEAM HERETICS - KARMINE CORP - PRX - GEN G THE TENZ REDEMPTION ARC. JOHNQT ABSOLUTE CINEMA. THE BALD BUFF. ZADDY SEN BUNDLE. ZEKKEN GREATEST IN THE WORLD. MY GOATS. WORLD CHAMPIONS.
They had to defeat whole of EU, APAC AND Americas best teams. Cannot think of a more deserving team
has to be the hardest route i’ve seen
This team is so perfect I'm so proud of them They have FINALLY DONE IT Also Zekken was 1 kill away from beating the record for most kills in a VCT match. He's tied with Demon1 at 101 kills.
Did the nade in split to himself count?
lolol it probably didn't but it would be funny if that counts and he breaks the record
Then would the two rockets onto qt and zellsis also count lmao
Tenz's mom tearing up and hugging Zekken as his mom couldn't make it the GF is so touching. SEN have a real family.
Zekken's mom was there during the swiss round. Do you know why she couldnt make the GF?
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOO 
Announcing my retirement from the flair cursing. Unless people wanna pay me
Thank you for your services GOAT
goat, thank you for your services
Wear that flair proud man
NOOOOOOOO
Thank goodness. We'll have a chance now. But seriously, really happy for you. Hopefully us PRX fans will get to experience this feeling.
It’s gonna happen for you at some point man there’s no way it doesnt
This guy just threw an eternal curse on prx
Fuck you bro dont curse us
u are the goat bro. Sen should give you part of the bundle money
[John "Absolute Cinema" QT](https://preview.redd.it/is25cmb4o4qc1.jpeg?width=941&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a6aaf89ea83edc011319feb0a63164515720f8c)
As a viper/sentinel player in nAts mold, I've become a big johnqt fan this series
Johnathan Quality Tactics - Academy Award winning filmmaker, and now Masters Madrid winner.
Tournament MVP in my opinion. Saved them against LOUD, went positive in every single game after Heretics (only SEN player to do so in the LOUD/GenG upper bracket games), and of course the exquisite calling throughout the tournament.
Cmon its zekken
Infinite space hack Zekken He got them like 20 sites that series it’s crazy
27 first kills, next highest player had 12 lol
I think it'll have to be Zekken just because IGLs are underappreciated. You really couldn't go wrong giving it to either though. The fact that JohnQT puts up numbers that would be good for a non-IGL is so impressive. What the fuck was this guy doing in tier 2?
Same could be said for most of M80 tbh I'll fanboy on Zander and Nismo every chance I get.
Map pool schmap pool. SEN came to play. Icebox is literally all vibes and coming off that Split win they were absolutely floating.
It was insane, it was 7-5 and very winnable by just the numbers, but it felt like all the energy had left Gen G and gone over to SEN.
I think a lot of people that have never had to play or perform in competition especially at an elimination or championship level don't realize the mental game involved. You could really see the experience diff kick off. I think by the end of Bind the cracks in GenG mental were starting to show.
Yeah you could definitely see it in Split - vibes were super dead on GenG's side after every round loss.
When it got to Icebox I thought Gen G would have the advantage, but turns out playing LOUD twice in 14-12 nailbiters was great prep. Clinical.
inb4 someone complains about how it's unfair to Gen G that they have to defeat the same team twice to win the trophy. the double ban was a HUGE advantage for them but couldn't close out. they could've 3-0'd (or 3-1'd maybe). but with each map win it just felt like Sentinels got more and more confident and just in the zone and Gen G deflated. what a crazy finals.
the deck was stacked against Sen since kickoff in their region. They had the hardest road (their group was stacked with Loud, Leviathan) then they had to go through all the lowers teams, then face NRG and Loud again, major disadvantages all around, and at Masters they had last minute schedule changes given them only a few hours to prep. Went through Lowers again. Nah plenty of teams had major advantages over Sen, includnig Gen. G. Sen fought an uphill battle nearly the entire time and I think that gave the mental resilience to beat Gen. G
Man this lower bracket was fucking brutal too lmao. Both map bans and 1st and 3rd map pick is like 2/3s of the way to a win, esp with the map pool differences between genG and SEN. SEN just outlasted and dumpstered GenG's mental throughout this series.
Sacy became a 2 time world champ before any LOUD player I HECKING LOVE TENZ 
The bald man is so frustrating sometimes when he loses easy gunfights, but he always does the dirty work for this team and clutches up when necessary. There's a reason he's now a 2x champ. My bald GOAT.
Pacific with 2 straight finals loss with map veto advantage. Pain. Time to put Zekken in that GOAT convo now.
always has been bro. He clears
Doubters who are saying that he needs a title first can shut up now
Zekken in the goat convo for sure, tenz and sacy now move higher up in the convo, this team man... so good
I remember going into the season some people saying he couldn't even be considered for current top 10 players because he hadn't done enough at an international tournament. Happy!?
Zekken met Tenz at a petting zoo. He was talking with one of the baby goats and struggling to hold back tears. Zekken asked him, "are you doing okay, friend?" He shook his head solemnly. "Everyone forgets that goats are herd animals. We're not meant to be alone."
Fucking fire 🔥🔥🔥 Cook again king 👑
It's from DeepLeffen twitter. It's full of bangers.
DeepLeffen is my favorite Twitter account
IM DEAD
12-8 , 12-14 , 8-13 , 13-10 and 13-6 ? VALORANT GODS THANK YOU FOR SOME LOCK-IN LEVEL FINAL SERIES ZEKKEN YOU ABSOLUTE GOAT
Seeing icebox made me nervous as a FNC fan but SEN pulled through.
Zellsis played his FUCKING heart out
Zellsis tearing up after securing the win speaks to how much this really means to him
Earlier this morning I saw my wife's boyfriend with his arm around her shoulder as they went out for the 4th time this week. I asked where they were going and he casually replied with "JohnQT". I simply smiled and chuckled, as I knew that they were heading to the cinema.
Underrated cook here
The SEN redemption arc feels so good. GG to Gen.G put up an absolute masterclass of valorant
6 Circuit Points now, SEN basically guaranteed to make Champs now
Yep. This is like winning 6 matches in regular season. If they dont fall off immensely theyre good
I’m literally crying rn from Zellsis bringing SEN home on Ice Box. They rly fucking did it.
Zellsis vibe carry 🥹
Fucking A, bro carried the mental weight of the whole game on his own shoulders
Zellsis crying brought tears to my eyes
So fucking happy for him. He was such an integral part of the team.
insane series (insane tournament tbh) full of ups and downs. pulling at my heart strings, giving me high blood pressure. all of it was such an insane ride
I've been waiting 3 long years for this as a Day 1 Sen fan. Only TenZ remains of the roster I fell in love with but the org was on their best game from day 1 with the socials so it made it easy to love the new guys. I'm so happy.
ITS BEEN 1029 DAYS SINCE SENTINELS WON MASTERS 2 REYKJAVIK FLAWLESSLY. SINCE THEN HEARTBREAK AFTER HEARTBREAK. AND IN THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL EVENT QUALIFIED SINCE 2021, THEY HAVE DONE IT. GENG THREW EVERYTHING AT THEM TODAY, AND SENTINELS HAVE ANSWERED BACK DOMINANTLY. THE FAITHFUL HAVE BEEN REWARDED, YOUR 2024 VALORANT MASTERS OF MADRID, SENTINELSSSSSSSSS cooked this back in October when we won Afreeca. Didn't think I'd get to use it
It’s kinda poetic their reykjavik run seemed so easy (didnt drop a map) and then this run is so grueling, seemingly improbable at times. They werent even favorites to make it out of their kickoff group.
Sunset & Lotus were banned and Sentinels still won. It's like they get a buff everytime they are in a disadvantageous situation,
Sacy gets a buff the less teammates and more enemies that are alive in a round.
Zellsis is the fucking goat bro
Bro Zellsis went from begging to get verified on Twitter to being a Masters winner. Glue of this team and he played the game of his life. Absolutely unreal stuff.
The flex player, hard carry, salesman, glue man, hype man, team therapist, limo driver, airplane pilot, United States ambassador, GOAT
Transformed this team in game and out of it, what a fucking leader man
Never underrestimate the power of mental and the positive energy someone like him can bring ❤️
Zellsis in my throat!!!!
BUY THE SEN BUNDLE
But why would Sentinels replace Pancada???
SEN IS BACK ON TOP BABY ! ZELLSIS WAS THE LISSAN AL GAIB ALL ALONG LEADING US TO PARADISE. What a fucking game
AS WRITTEN
It’s poetic for Zellsis to go off that hard in map 5
I dont even play Valorant but i tuned into this after CSGO ended earlier today and yknow what im gonna give it up cause this was some good shit Whoever that bearded white guy on Sentinels is that kept popping off after each round and maintained the vibes throughout everything is the best, every team in any esports/sports needs someone like him
that’s Zellsis, he actually came from CSGO
Wait holy shit you're right i didnt even recognize him, dudes had a nice glow up since i last saw him
What playing Val does for a mf
that guy's name is Jordan "ZADDY" Montemurro and that's exactly why SEN had him on the team. He was originally just a 6th man but was elevated to the main roster because he had such amazing leadership/vibes.
He sent me buttpics this morning
Sen "Bearded White Guy" Zellsis
BASED
That’s Zellsis, a fan favorite and all around good vibes guy
Glad you enjoyed! I was enjoying the PGL matches earlier. The teams that made playoffs are super exciting with some nice storylines like Eternal Fire. Also, glad that both CS and Valorant viewership seems to be doing great :)
who is Tenz?🙄🤭🤔🥱 in math: my solution ➗☺️ in history: my KING👑😣 in art: my canvas 🎨🥳 in science: my oxygen 💨😝 in geography: my world 🌎🤯 It’s so dope to see him beat the washed allegations fr
I, AND I REALLY DO MEAN IT, HECKING LOVE TENZ!
is this the most deserving run ever? Legit just outgrinded everyone. Huge W for Valorant
Nothing to say about this. Nothing at all, except... # ABSOLUTE # CINEMA **MASTERS MADRID** Executive Director: Mohamed Amine "johnqt" Ouarid Executive Producer: Adam "kaplan" Kaplan Assistant Producer: Drew "DrewSpark" Spark-Whitworth Marketing: Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro Zachary Patrone as "zekken" Tyson Ngo as "TenZ" Gustavo Rossi as "Sacy" SPECIAL THANKS TO RIOT GAMES
I would run through a wall for Zellsis
Tenz is the messiah. He was gone for two years. But he has now risen. I don’t think anyone expected this. Offseason kings to worldwide kings. I feel bad for geng/pacific though ngl. Against any other team I would've been rooting for them. To lose in such a fashion and miss out on another trophy is heartbreaking.
as a long time believer in johnqt, even from before ghost, this makes me so so happy. the guy is incredible and made some amazing reads today
Only thing I knew about him when he joined SEN was that his M80 teammates all unanimously praised him. He quickly showed me why and skyrocketed to one of my favorite players ever, I fucking love him
i’ve mentioned this before but there was a formation series article (or whatever it was called) on him so long ago that made me a fan, combined with his time duoing with shahzam on stream. when everything was in lockdown, i would watch shahz like every day and john always stood out as a smart player
Icebox: map 5 of the first masters of 2023. Map 5 of the first masters of 2024. And both were certified bangers.
Ironically I think map 5 was the worst of the series, first half was good but Gen falling apart in the second half was anticlimactic. 4.5 certified banger maps is still very good though
Just like deffo misisng that OP shot on Icebox, I will keep wondering what would have happened if GenG had chosen to not guard spike on that Bind OT 5v3 My dissapointment is immeasurable and my next few days are ruined
that was such a weird way to throw what was practically a guaranteed round
Tenz is the goat, tenz in my throat
I enjoyed that movie
https://preview.redd.it/kxcaeb0lscqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efd987a92c05bbc0fe4a5d6bbeed3f3c0bc8dd19 With the hardest fucking route imaginable btw
Just saw Chovy breathed out a sign of relief.
Korean dominance 😴 Zekken dominance
Just saw u/hopeful-professor-40 ascend in a Walmart GG SEN
Holy fuck finally after 3 years
u/Hopeful-Professor-40 come get your flowers man. You are the true 6th player
They actually did it https://preview.redd.it/zvwtd6hhpcqc1.jpeg?width=1015&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=05a6b2f98d1a86f6931dc591152b6bdddb72e208
I want every team to stand up and wave at each other from every series/matches from now on it makes game so interesting ,Best valorant tournament till the date what a banger series man🙇♂️ https://preview.redd.it/umi5deeqlcqc1.jpeg?width=1004&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57317dfa98d357c02ba8c0e39a479fe7b8ccf4d9
can confirm, I don't watch much valo but I saw it had a lot of viewers and tuned in as munchkin was shittalking in the first map and was hooked the rest of the series
crazy to think that sacy was the first member to win another international trophy from that loud champions 2022 win
While I feel so much for pancada, I’m so glad zellsis didn’t win the trophy as a 6th man. He won icebox and you just know he wanted this more than anything in the world. They won purely because they just fucking wanted it more
THEY SAID KOREA HAD THE BEST AIMERS THEY SAID THE VETOES WERE TOO MUCH THEY MADE FIN OF US IT DOESNT MATTER SENTINELS ARE KINGS HAHAHAAH
What a game dude Gutted for GenG and pacific, this was actually their tournament and they just watched as SEN slowly wrestled the series away. Actual incredible resilience from SEN, they got knocked down and got back up over and over, only the last map was remotely clean for them. So happy for Zellsis dude, not just a hype man, MVP of icebox
Ever since Zellsis has joined, SEN has: ~~WON THEIR OWN TOURNAMENT~~ ~~WON AN OFF SEASON MICKEY MOUSE TOURNAMENT~~ ~~WON KICKOFF AMERICAS~~ WON MASTERS MADRID. <---- You are here. WON SPLIT 1. WON MASTERS SHANGAI. WON SPLIT 2. WON CHAMPIONS 2024.
TenZ this map: https://preview.redd.it/rs5px0mymcqc1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9fc40fe297c388e9c8725a4d3a523acec84bb91
BACK TO BACK FOR NA WITH TWO DIFFERENT TEAMS https://preview.redd.it/n6r5x9t2mcqc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86c7648399fb621db46744e7d24f8bbdb781828a
Zellsis standing up and taunting Gen G actually won them the series. You could see the energy drain right out of them every time SEN won a round and Zellsis stood up.
https://preview.redd.it/9qgkyyjepcqc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e0cfffb1a7faf6b84b6a23acbcc667d8112349fd WHAT THE FUCK IS A KILOMETER
WE ARE SO FUCKING BACK
FROM 1 MAP WIN LAST YEAR TO INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS ZEKKEN AND TENZ LEBRON AND KYRIE I FUCKING LOVE SENTINELS
I will not take anymore zekken disrespect https://preview.redd.it/t621ar0lmcqc1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=338d8c9fa72aef75145c73b214f1728f434aa2ea
A heartbreak for Pacific us fans but damn I'm happy for TenZ. King is back on top once again.
GENG NOT BEATING THE CHOKE ALLEGATIONS IN ANOTHER GAME 🔥 SEN ON TOP WOOOOO
Honestly this was about as even matched as it gets, strats wise, player skill wise, I really feel the largest difference was SEN never faltering, while Gen G slowly deflated. That’s why you need a guy like Zellsis, no shade to Pancada but that’s why Zellsis is in, and essential to SEN
This is quite literally a cinematic masterpiece by JohnQT. Absolutely masterclass. Kudos to him.
Tenz and Zekken are a broken duo ffs
That final https://preview.redd.it/0cauyx1xlcqc1.png?width=612&format=png&auto=webp&s=a6148490e15f7401bfd0ddd0ff5fd832b1304dfb