Tarik breaks down why Shroud joining Sentinels is ‘already paying off’ for VALORANT heavyweights

The key lies in his defensive plays.

shroud-sentinels-tarik
Image via Sentinels and Tarik on Instagram

Twitch star Tarik Celik is thrilled to see Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek performing well for Sentinels in the VALORANT NA VCT LCQ, and he believes the move is paying off because they’re using him effectively.

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Sentinels lost their first series against The Guard in the Upper Quarter-Finals. However, they bounced back in the first round of the lower bracket, beating Shopify Rebellion in a close series.

The human aimbot was pivotal in that, clutching up on defense. Tarik believes that’s where he thrives best: “Shroud is not meant to be a crazy fragger star.”

Instead, the Twitch streamer described him as a defensive VALORANT machine.

Image via Sentinels

Shroud shines in ‘clutch moments,’ Tarik says

“The way I see Shroud being utilized efficiently is they put him in the clutches. They put him in post plans. He’s an anchor on the site for defense,” explained Tarik, who is no slouch himself.

And Sentinels are doing that in their VALORANT campaign.

“When he’s anchoring, he’s getting two kills. When he’s put inside the clutches, he’s winning them. That’s how I see Shroud. He’s an impact player. He’s not the type of guy to drop 30, typically. He’s going to get kills that matter.”

Sentinels are one series away from elimination. They’ll need to beat 100 Thieves on Aug. 11 to stay in contention for the qualification spot.

However, Tarik has liked what he’s seen from them so far: He said the first series against The Guard was a narrow loss, and the second against Shopify Rebellion should have been more one-sided. So, he thinks they don’t look bad.

But whether they can topple their next opponents is a different beast. Shroud could be the key, especially if he gets into the groove we’ve seen him capable of many times.

Author
Image of Alex Tsiaoussidis
Alex Tsiaoussidis
Staff Writer for Dot Esports. I am a passionate gamer with years of experience covering all things gaming, esports, and streaming. I have extra love for Dota 2, Pokémon, and Apex Legends.