Who Can Beat Sentinels? VCT Masters Madrid Power Rankings

Here is how Esports Illustrated ranks all eight teams competing at VCT Masters Madrid to kickoff the VCT 2024 season.

VCT Masters Madrid is underway as the four major regions have their top two teams competing at the first international tournament of 2024. Yet, what makes VCT Masters Madrid different than any other international tournament before it is the various mix of different types of teams competing at the event. From international tournament staples like Paper Rex to rising newcomers like Karmine Corp, VCT Madrid has already showcased a nice mix of teams either looking to prove themselves or stay atop the international circuit.

Here is the list of all the eight teams competing at VCT Masters Madrid and where they rank amongst each other.

VCT Masters Madrid Power Rankings

Here are all eight teams competing at VCT Masters Madrid and how Esports Illustrated ranks them all.

1. Sentinels

SEN city is finally shining bright once more as the Americas favorites are finally translating their social media presence onto the server.

Each and every one of these players on the lineup have experience competing on the international stage. They arguably have th best player in the world right now in Zachary “zekken” Patrone and revitalized Tyson “TenZ” Ngo who has comfortably slotted into his new flex role in the team. After their Cinderella run to make it into the VCT Americas Kickoff playoffs and ultimately win their domestic league, Sentinels have an opportunity to become just the second team in competitive VALORANT history to win their second international LAN tournament.

With their spot in the VCT Masters Madrid playoffs already booked, their dreams of lifting yet another VALORANT trophy stand just a couple matches away from reality.

2. Gen.G

Gen.G have been one of the biggest surprises in the 2024 VCT season ever since their Sentinels-esque run through their respective regions kickoff tournament. Okay, they technically did it before Sentinels, but let’s move forward here. Gen.G are a stellar team that has truly

This has been the first international even for longtime veteran Kim “Lakia” Jong-Min since his Third Place finish at VCT Masters Reykjavik with Nuturn Gaming.

Both Gen. G and the number one team on this list can be viewed as 1A and 1B on this list because of their steep trajectories in the VCT 2024 season as they are already playoffs bound following their victories against LOUD and EDward Gaming in the Swiss Stage. The only question left for Gen.G now is if they could become the Pacific team to win an international VALORANT tournament.

3. EDward Gaming

It’s finally time to stop sleeping on the Chinese region in VALORANT as they are truly an unstoppable force that can compete against the best teams in the world.

Currently they stand 1-1 in the VCT Masters Madrid Swiss Stage, beating Paper Rex and losing to Gen.G in a very close 1-2 series loss. As the young folk say, Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang is truly him on the VALORANT server as his 2023 sparkle has polished into a shining diamond. After his server-leading 66 kills nearly carried his entire team to win against Gen.G, ZmjjKK and the rest of EDward Gaming still stand a strong chance of being able to make it to the Playoffs. Regardless, they still stand as a top-three team competing at VCT Masters Madrid.

4. LOUD

LOUD have not missed a single international tournament ever since VCT Masters Reykjavik 2022. While they are on the brink of elimination following their narrow loss against Gen.G,(they’re just built different in 2024) LOUD are still a top team in Madrid. Former world champion Felipe “Less” Basso has continued to be a star for LOUD in 2024 as his 1.26 Rating and 57 kills bested every player on Gen.G, despite the loss.

LOUD are still really good and if Less continues to above and beyond the responsibilities of his role as a Sentinel/Controller player, then LOUD might just be a darkhorse to win the entire tournament.

5. Karmine Corp

(Photo by Adela Sznajder/Riot Games)

Truthfully, Karmine Corp are actually really good despite their ranking at fifth on this list. The only thing stopping them from cracking the top four is their lack of experience.

Even in their 0-2 loss against Sentinels, Karmine Corp still looked really strong against Sentinels. If there is an EMEA team to make it to the top four, it would most likely be Karmine Corp. That being said, there are still some holes to their game that keep them just outside of the top four at VCT Masters Madrid. If Karmine Corp are able to make that run to the playoffs, it will be through a strong performance from Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey.

6. Paper Rex

(Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

It is truly painful to put them here so low, but the team doesn’t have the same dominance internationally when they were competing with Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie. They have so much experience on this team, but it’s really tough to put them any higher on this list in their current form, especially with the talent at this tournament.

That being said, while they are currently sixth on this list, all of the top seven teams on this list have a shot at being able to make their way to the playoffs at VCT Masters Madrid. If you were to pay attention to one player to carry the reigning VCT Champions 2023 Finalists to the playoffs, keep your eyes on Jason “f0rsaken” Susanto as he will be the x-factor that can bring this team to the top four at VCT Masters Madrid.

7. Team Heretics

(Photo by Adela Sznajder/Riot Games)

Their run to VCT Masters Madrid was truly spectacular, but the problem is that the team lacks experience on the international level. In a 16-team tournament, that wouldn’t be as much of an issue, but in this eight-team format, that is really tough for a team that needs games on the international stage. Still, they are in their home base of Spain which should be a huge motivation to perform under pressure. Regardless, just getting to the first VALORANT 2024 international will be a huge boost for their experience to do extremely well at future international tournaments.

8. FunPlus Phoenix

It’s unfortunate having to put a team at the eight spot, but it’s a fitting place for FunPlus Phoenix at VCT Masters Madrid. Simply put, their fundamentals are a lot weaker compared to the other teams on this list as there are many times that they lose rounds purely off of other teams understandings of defaults.

To put it bluntly, FunPlus Phoenix are the only team that doesn’t have a shot at making it to the playoffs let alone winning the entire tournament. Still, that should not take away from their achievements of actually making it to the international stage yet again. If teams choose to disrespect FunPlus Phoenix in-game, this team is still a top team and will easily punish those mistakes. However, the field at VCT Masters Madrid is so strong that keep the element of a shock upset at a low.

VALORANT Masters Madrid has already kicked off as the top eight teams all are looking to be crowned the first World Champion of 2024. The inaugural global event of the 2024 VALORANT Champions Tour will take place at the illustrious Madrid Arena from March 14-24. 

Be sure to stay updated on all changes regarding to VALORANT by checking out what happened in VALORANT Patch 8.04.