Pop Flash’s Pop Stars Pop Off
The rise of a new esport is always a time filled with excitement and attention from many across the industry. Fans and professionals alike are always in the mood for a new spectator sport to watch and enjoy, new players and stories to step into the limelight, and game-defining plays and moments to help round out the identity of a new scene. Of course, it’s never an easy road to becoming a successful and popular esport, and that’s nothing compared to the immense difficulty of starting a new esport scene in the midst of a global pandemic, where no LAN tournaments are currently possible.
That being said, VALORANT has continued to defy the odds, thanks to the constant rotation of tournaments from the IGNITION SERIES. With the recent conclusion of B-Site’s Pop Flash, VALORANT’s future is looking optimistic. Pop Flash was the perfect tournament to help propel the game further along on its journey. The production and broadcast were top-notch, particularly in the age of COVID, the gameplay was sublime and fun to watch, and the performances and stories from the teams all gave Pop Flash a signature and unique flavour for its viewers to consume.
Most notably it was the Sentinels, the CS:GO/Overwatch-veteran hybrid team, that was the talk of the town after dominantly gliding their way through the bracket, dropping only one map along the way. Sentinels’ unique and oppressive playstyle made their matches absolute gems to watch, and the performances from each of their players are something to highlight and praise. Sentinels are the best in NA VALORANT right now, an incredible feat, and a great addition to the chapters of their incredibly unique roster’s stories.
VALORANT is best looked at as a hybrid team shooter, the gunplay and strategic moves mirroring CS:GO, with characters that carry unique abilities and equipment in the same vein as Overwatch or Rainbow Six Siege - fitting for the hybrid team behind Sentinels' power. The team consists of three Counter-Strike veterans and two Overwatch veterans - four who did not get to reach the major heights of their former sport, and one who stood at the top of it all. The history behind these players is what really adds juice to the win and subsequent reign of the Sentinels. It's finally time for these players to prove that they have the talent and skill to stand atop of the game they play.
Four of the Sentinels players sit in the top ten K/D's of the tournament. Shahzeeb "ShahZaM" Khan fit comfortably onto Jett and Sova, and boasts the second-highest K/D at 1.38. Hunter "SicK" Mims follows, sitting at number five with a 1.24 on Sage and Phoenix. Jay "sinatraa" Won is right under him at 1.22 on Sova, Raze, and Phoenix and Michael "dapr" Gulino round out at number seven with a 1.2 as the team's Cypher. Only Jared "zombs" Gitlin, is outside of the top ten at number eleven, with a 1.07 on Omen and Brimstone.
More so than the skill, it’s the stories that keep fans watching and cheering. ShahZaM, SicK, and dapr, they never really found that top tier success in CS:GO. So, while VALORANT is still in the early stages of development, standing atop of a scene is a great start for these players that never really found the success they were grinding for.
Zombs as well is now a crucial member for the Sentinels, when in Overwatch he could never really find his place in the Overwatch League. Prominent in the scene for a time, he couldn’t break through as many would’ve expected. Now, he’s one of the best players in North America, a reward offered to someone who for so long had to stand on the sidelines. What a redemption for a player who has finally been able to find his place as a professional player.
Finally, of course, there’s the two-time MVP himself, sinatraa, who’s proving himself to be an absolute star for the scene as a whole. If there was any doubt as to his mid-season departure from the Overwatch League, all that has been completely dispelled, as he shows everyone how crucial he is to Sentinels’ success in VALORANT. Watching sinatraa’s prowess this tournament has been incredible, and even though a player like him is sorely missed by the Overwatch community, it’s great to see VALORANT have a centrepiece player to rally around. He possesses the skills, leadership, and the personality to be one of the best in two different games. Looking to the future, it’ll be great to see if this can be the beginning of an early dynasty for the Sentinels and VALORANT esports.
Images via Flashpoint
