TenZ announces retirement from competive VALORANT, leaving unrivaled legacy

Brandon Moore

Brandon Moore

One of the GOATs of VALORANT is calling it a day, as TenZ has announced his retirement from active competition.

We heckin' love TenZ. But all good things must come to an end, as Tyson "TenZ" Ngo has announced his retirement from Sentinels' competitive VALORANT team. The retirement announcement was made on his X account, with Sentinels also posting a tribute video with their own announcement.

According to TenZ, he knew it would be his last year heading into 2024, and he ends as one of the most iconic professional esports players of the modern era. With multiple trophies and plenty of highlights to his name.

The face of VALORANT exits competitive play, as TenZ announces retirement

(Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
(Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

TenZ has been a professional FPS player for many years, beginning with his Counter-Strike career. From the days of subtLe to his time on Cloud9, he made a name for himself as a kid with incredible aim and game sense.

Transfer that in 2020 over to VALORANT, where TenZ immediately made a new name for himself. This saw him become not only one of the most-viewed pro players in the game, but outside as well as a streamer and content creator.

Everyone who knows esports knows TenZ from CS:GO and VALORANT, and they'll probably feel a bit somber regarding his retirement. We can mark this one as truly an end of an era, that only happens on a few occasions in a lifetime.

A look at TenZ's VALORANT career

When he made the switch to VALORANT, like so many others, TenZ returned to Cloud9. For a year, he represented them as a player and streamer, before moving to Sentinels on a loan. From there, SEN picked up his full contract and he has been a part of the org since early 2021.

(Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
(Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

His time on Sentinels had its ups and downs, but the ups are some of the most talked about moments in VALORANT history. He helped lead the team to the Stage 1 Masters win in 2021, then a Masters Reykjavik victory in the first international VCT tournament.

Appearances at Masters Berlin and other off-season events cemented TenZ as a must-see VALORANT talent. Now, he bows out after lifting the 2024 Masters Madrid trophy with Sentinels, and placing Top 4 at Champions in Seoul.

(Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
(Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

This doesn't mean TenZ is gone forever, as he states in his VALORANT retirement announcement. He is still a part of the Sentinels organization and will continue creating content. He left the door open for being a sub if the VALORANT team needs it, and has plenty of other opportunities to look forward to.

Best of luck to him in the future, and stay tuned to esports.gg for more esports news and VALORANT coverage.