The former Sentinels player vented via social media, claiming the org broke promises to him that saw the IGL be left out of the roster ahead of franchising.
The 2023 competitive Valorant season is barely getting underway but we're no short of drama already after former Sentinels player Shahzeb "ShahZaM" Khan fired at his old team, stating that the organization broke a promise to the IGL which would have seen the 29-year-old be a part of Sentinels' roster for the franchised international leagues.
ShahZaM was a key component in Sentinels' dominant 2021 where they won two Masters events. Sadly, their year ended on a sour note after being eliminated in the group stages of Valorant Champions. 2022 was a nightmare for the squad, failing to qualify for a single international event, with their Last Chance Qualifier run marked by the shock signing of former CSGO star and popular streamer Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek and a disappointing exit of the tournament.
As a result and after plenty of rumors, the Sentinels roster revamp didn't include ShahZaM, who will now compete with G2 Esports in Valorant Challengers, the tier 2 of professional play looking to help the team secure a spot for the International Leagues (one they already had but kissed goodbye thanks to former CEO Ocelote) in 2024.
ShahZaM fired shots via social media after a seemingly harmless Sentinels Twitter video post in which their head coach spins a wheel to determine the team's strat for the Ludwig x Tarik Invitational. The current G2 player stated:
oh yeah, one time I spun the wheel and it landed on 'please play with shroud, we don’t care if you win just make it hype. we’ll personally guarantee you a spot in franchising if you do'
oh yeah, one time I spun the wheel and it landed on "please play with shroud, we don't care if you win just make it hype. we'll personally guarantee you a spot in franchising if you do"
— G2 ShahZaM (@ShahZaMk) January 12, 2023
Sentinels CEO, Rob Moore directly responded to ShahZaM, stating that all the work ethic and commitment he showed in 2021 was nowhere to be seen last year, implying that was a big reason for the team underperforming.
@ShahZaMk It's weird that since you left all you talk about is how you want to be with the organization, when for all of 2022 you behaved like you didn't want to be here. It seems like you have returned to the focus you had in 2021. If so, @G2esports will be in great hands.
— Rob Moore (@robmooreEsports) January 13, 2023
After a third-party questioned Moore, asking why they lied to ShahZaM and broke a promise they had made, the CEO simply rebutted by commenting that people shouldn't be so gullible online, prompting yet another response from the former Sentinels IGL.
are you actually going to deny promising me a spot if i did you this "huge favor"?you can own up to it and do better. don't lie to your players. best of luck to you and your new team.
— G2 ShahZaM (@ShahZaMk) January 13, 2023
Moore simply said: "I did not," to that final ShahZaM question, putting an end to the beef, at least publicly. Sadly for those looking to see a storyline develop in-game, Sentinels and G2 Esports won't be playing each other anytime soon since one made it into the International Leagues and the other will have to fight its way from Challengers.
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