SEN johnqt: "I’m not interested in being a mid player on a mid team"

For Sentinels IGL Mohamed Amine "Johnqt" Ouarid, the team’s performance at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Kickoff was unlike anything he had ever experienced domestically ever since joining the organization in late 2023.

Johnqt kickstarted his third year in the VCT Americas league as one of the highest fragging players, topping stats charts all throughout Kickoff.

“I’m proud of my individual performance. I always knew that I could be that guy if my team needs me to be and I proved,” johnqt said. “However, I prefer being last in stats but going to international events than what happened in Kickoff.”

In past seasons, johnqt’s fragging would have catapulted Sentinels into a world-class team. Instead, his strong individual showing was all but a silver lining in the grander picture of trying to lift another VCT trophy.

The start of the VCT 2026 season saw Sentinels struggle to meet their usual expectations. Instead of competing for spots at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026, the team found themselves eliminated from Kickoff early on with a 9th-10th place finish.

“I was pretty pissed during Kickoff,” johnqt truthfully shared. “I’m not interested in being a mid player on a mid team. We put in a lot of work to win, and if we don’t, it’s just a waste of time.”

A work ethic built from humble beginnings

For johnqt, choosing a career in esports is one that has been a progressive climb to reach the point he is at today as a VALORANT Masters Champion and the face of Sentinels. He remembered what it was like trying to balance everyday life tasks with the impossible mission of carving out a pro gaming career from the MENA region.

“Back then, it was impossible to make it out of North Africa and Morocco,” johnqt said. “But I always knew as soon as I stepped foot in Europe or whatever, I could make it as a pro player.”

Choosing to pursue a career in esports was a mix of following his gaming dream and considering the financial upside of making it to the highest levels. “If you’re successful in esports it definitely pays well,” johnqt said. “I was just helping myself and my family financially because we needed to save the boat a little bit.”

At the time, johnqt had been in Montreal, Quebec for four months on a student visa pursuing a degree in Engineering before trying to chase a dream in esports. If he had failed to make a career in gaming, it would have set him and his family back a few years.

“I had one and a half years left of school and realistically knew I wouldn’t get paid in my early years as an engineer,” johnqt shared. “Pursuing a pro VALORANT career just felt like the best option.”

“It was super risky, and I was nervous at the start,” johnqt said. “I kept wondering and thinking, damn, did I just ruin my life?”

Running back over past choices is a human characteristic that many pursuing a risky path often encounter, especially when you are fully committed to that pathway. For johnqt, those early risks to carve out a pro esports career have resulted in a successful career.

However, it is this same exact mentality that got him to the highest levels of VALORANT that makes it difficult to accept the reality of not always being able to win. The start of the VCT 2026 season has been one of the biggest hurdles of his career at the Tier-1 level. Yet, being an underdog is nothing new for johnqt, and he acknowledges that periods like this are natural for an athlete.

“For both Kickoffs, I had finished first and second, and now I finished 9th/10th,” johnqt said. “But sometimes that’s just how it is.”

Moving forward with Sentinels

Every single day throughout the offseason period leading up to the start of VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Stage 1 has begun with a stop for coffee before immediately heading over to the Sentinels' office.

The next step for johnqt is helping lead Sentinels back to the top of the VCT Americas league and then, ultimately, the world once again. However, getting back to lifting a trophy will take an immense amount of work and dedication with a new set of teammates.

Regardless, accomplishing new benchmarks is nothing new for johnqt. After paving a career in esports through sheer work ethic, he will now officially step back into the mantle of in-game leader going into Stage 1.

It will be interesting to see whether johnqt and the new Sentinels squad can bounce back in VCT Americas Stage 1. For now, they will use the remainder of their offseason to prepare for Group Omega. VCT Americas Stage 1 will begin on April 12, 2026.

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Cover Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games