In an interview with Tarik ‘tarik’ Celik about his arrival at Sentinels, Rory ‘dephh’ Jackson talked about his connection to his new, and old, teammates, the coaching staff, and the new approach the organization is taking for the 2023 season.
Sentinels signed the former XSET IGL on October 18 and introduced the new player to its fans a day later through an interview with Valorant streamer tarik. The two talked about how dephh got into esports, his expectations for the roster, and how things will change in 2023.
dephh specifically went into how the organization has changed its stance on how much the players are involved in the roster and decision-making at a high level.
“I think Sentinels learned their lesson last year,” dephh told tarik. “Player-run rosters and [big] personalities, sometimes they clash, and I think they realized from last year that the structure that me and [head coach] Don brought and even [strategic coach] kaplan having success on a team like Ghost Gaming. I think they just realized, ‘Hey we’re going to have a new approach this year,’ and I think that’s why I’m so excited to play for Sentinels.”
tarik, who has criticized Sentinels in the past over their lack of a coaching structure, said he agreed with dephh and that he is looking forward to seeing what the new team can do in a more structured environment.
dephh on the new-look Sentinels
dephh is one of the four players signed by Sentinels for VCT 2023, along with Zachary ‘zekken’ Patrone, Gustavo ‘Sacy’ Rossi, and Bryan ‘pANcada’ Luna. Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo is the only player from Sentinels’ 2022 roster that remains in the starting lineup, with Hunter ‘SicK’ Mims filling the role of backup member.
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The British IGL described how the new team will work under the coaching staff. dephh explained that as the leader of the team, he has meetings with the coaches to talk through new strategies before introducing them to the group as a whole.
He and tarik also talked about zekken and how he will contribute to the team. dephh praised the teenage star, whom he knows from their time together on XSET, saying that he is not just a top-tier aimer but also a hard-working player.
“He’s a really good kid,” dephh said. “His work ethic, the way that he applies himself, the way that he thinks about the game, the way that he is involved in strategy, that’s the reason he is going to be a top player. It’s not just because of his aim.”
Sentinels fans will be able to see the new roster at the VCT Kickoff tournament in Brazil in February.