TenZ returns to Valorant esports with Cubert Academy viewership

TenZ, the favourite child of the North American Valorant scene, is back competing after retiring last year. The star player isn’t returning to the VCT, but will play for Sentinels’ academy team, Cubert Academy, for the reminder of the Challengers playoffs. TenZ’s presence could make the 2025 Stage 2 one of the most popular Challengers events ever.

On May 19, Cubert Academy announced Tyson “TenZ” Ngo’s return for the Valorant Challengers 2025 North America: Stage 2 playoffs. He replaces Logan "skuba" Jenkins, who recently joined NRG’s Valorant Champions Tour roster, replacing the retiring Pujan "FNS" Mehta. TenZ’s signing resembles Sentinels’ signing of Michael "shroud" Grzesiek in 2022; shroud played one event for Sentinels while they rebuilt their roster.

RETURN OF THE KING@TenZOfficial will be joining Cubert Academy for Stage 2 playoffs pic.twitter.com/aj2hzamo6D
— Cubert (@CubertAcademy) May 20, 2025

During his return to competition, TenZ will not only appear on other broadcasts, but TenZ will also stream his own POV of the matches on his channels to both his Twitch and YouTube channels. In the past, TenZ attracted over 100,000 concurrent viewers for his esports co-streams, so it will be interesting to see how his POV broadcasts compare.

TenZ's first match with Cubert Academy begins at 7 p.m. ET on May 20 against Winthrop. Challengers North America uses a double-elimination format for playoffs. This means TenZ will play at least two matches with the roster across this week and the next.

Broadcasting official matches and scrims has gained popularity recently in the streaming world. Hardcore fans love it, and casual fans are catching on. Everyone finds some interest in the insights these streams offer into competitive gaming.

In League of Legends, British co-streamer and caster Marc "Caedrel" Lamont streamed ‘scrims’ (practice matches) and games for his team Los Ratones, which exploded in popularity and set new records for various European tournament series. TenZ’s POV stream will give fans a unique insight into the world of Valorant esports. With such a beloved player like TenZ, this will likely be one of the biggest livestreamed Valorant events of the year for North American fans.

Read also: Scrims on streams: how the new rule can help League of Legends teams attract a new audience

Consolidating viewership for an esports match across many channels can be tough. But Esports Charts’ products quickly analyse viewership and create statistics for events as they happen – visit our Pricing page for more information, and keep an eye on our blog for our recap of TenZ’s return.

But didn’t TenZ leave Sentinels? Yes, but not really. Earlier this month, TenZ announced on X that he officially parted ways with Sentinels, however, both the official Sentinels X account and their CEO Rob Moore said the split was to open more opportunities for TenZ. While a Sentinels-contracted player, his potential brand deals were limited due to conflicts with Sentinels’ sponsors. Now, he can explore a wider range of deals for his future as a content creator.

guys guys relax, it's just to not conflict with future sponsor deals. TenZ will always be Sentinels family
— Sentinels (@Sentinels) May 8, 2025

TenZ’s signing with Cubert Academy shows his bond with the Sentinels organization, even if they are no longer officially in business. Not only is this a happy day for TenZ fans, but with Cubert Academy and TenZ potentially going up against the dominant, streamer-team ENVY in their second game, this could be one of the most-watched Challengers games from North America ever.