Michael "shroud" Grzesiek has joined the Sentinels Valorant roster, the North American organization announced Friday.
The announcement video dropped in record-breaking fashion on Twitter to the tune of 228,000 likes and 6 million views since its release.
"This whole thing was spur of the moment over dinner," shroud said in the video. "Like, 'Hey, Sentinels needs a fifth. Do we throw your name in there?' I was like absolutely. I'm itching to try competing again and Valorant's something new and I want to see how I can fare against something that's new rather than going back to what I already know."
The perhaps unimaginable move marks the former Cloud9 CS:GO legend's official return to esports competition for the first time in nearly five years.
In his retirement, shroud, 28, has notably continued to be one of the most well-known streamers in North America, playing a variety of games while also showcasing his signature gifted aim from time to time.
Sentinels has had far from the ideal run so far in the 2022 VCT season, as most recently demonstrated with its 0-5 finish in the VCT Stage 2: Challengers NA Group Stage.
Despite the discouraging performances, Sentinels' hopes for Valorant Champions — the VCT's end-of-year final taking place in September — are still alive by virtue of NA Circuit Points.
Now, after recent news suggested that Hunter "SicK" Mims will not return to the Sentinels lineup for the VCT North American Last Chance Qualifier, it appears shroud will be featured in full force.
Of course, fans of shroud know that the esports personality is a bit of a troll these days, often making memes on stream while hosting watch parties of VCT events in recent months.
That, coupled with the fact that Sentinels' odds to win the LCQ were looking slim at best before his addition, has caused some fans to wonder whether this is purely a content move or an actual competitive decision.
Ultimately, with shroud and company seemingly confirming that he will be leaving his house to bootcamp, fill the Controller role and give an honest effort to compete, it seems this could only spell good things for both VCT viewership and Sentinels' chances for being included in Riot Games' 2023 franchising plans.
"I would hate to put in all this effort and drop the ball," shroud said. "I don't think I will, but it would really suck. It can happen. It could just be a couple matches and that could be the end of it, but I really don't want that. I want to go all the way. I want to take it through the LCQ and then we'll see what happens after that."
The Sentinels Valorant roster is:
- Shahzeb "ShahZaM" Khan (IGL)
- Michael "dapr" Gulino
- Tyson "TenZ" Ngo
- Eric "Kanpeki" Xu
- Michael "shroud" Grzesiek
- Hunter "SicK" Mims (Inactive)
- Jared "zombs" Gitlin (Inactive)
- Shane "Rawkus" Flaherty (Head Coach)
Following VCT Stage 2: Masters Copenhagen, which will run from July 10 to July 24, all eyes will turn to the regional LCQs in August. Exactly one spot is still left for an NA team to join OpTic Gaming and XSET in representing the region at Valorant Champions.
For more 2022 VCT coverage, feel free to check out:
- Valorant Pros Share Their Go-To Buys for Pistol Rounds
- Valorant Pros Settle the Vandal vs. Phantom Debate
- VCT Pros Explain What the Best Map is in Valorant
- VCT Pros Reveal What the Worst Map is in Valorant
- Coaching ‘Vibey’ 100 Thieves Valorant, Sean Gares Finds Personal Growth as Well
- Valorant Pros Explain What Players Should Improve to Climb Ranked
- VCT Pros Reveal Their Favorite Post-Launch Valorant Agents
- Sean Gares Talks Future of Valorant Esports: 'We're Still Early on in the Game's Lifespan'
- Valorant Pros Share Their Favorite Melee Skins
This article was originally published on dbltap as Shroud Joins Sentinels Valorant Ahead of VCT NA LCQ.