SEN Zekken on finding work-fun balance, says Paper Rex is “still better than what people think”

After Sentinels’ opening victory over Wolves Esports at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Toronto 2025, confidence is at an all-time high for the team and its fans. Following months of hard work, the iconic North American squad made a strong statement, sweeping one of China’s top teams 2-0 to begin their international campaign.

It’s an especially satisfying start for a roster that suffered an early exit at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Bangkok 2025, where questions surrounded the team’s ability to compete with the world’s best. Now, they’ve alleviated at least some of those doubts—and reminded the world of their potential when everything clicks.

But behind their sharp performance on stage lies a deeper struggle that isn’t visible in highlight reels or scoreboards. One of the core challenges for Sentinels, according to Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro, is finding a healthy balance between grinding for greatness and remembering to enjoy the process along the way.

Finding a work-fun balance

After the team’s run at Masters Bangkok ended earlier than hoped, Zellsis was candid about the mental toll that comes with the nonstop grind and hunger for success, stating that his iteration of the team is one of the hardest working, but people can “forget how to have fun,” then end up "running into a wall.”

That idea—pushing themselves to the limit while avoiding burnout—has become a major talking point for the team, and one that younger players like Zachary "zekken" Patrone are also taking to heart. At just 20 years old, Zekken has already earned a reputation as one of the most consistent and explosive duelists in VALORANT, but even he knows there’s more to long-term success than pure effort.

At Masters Toronto, Zekken reflected on how the team is approaching that work-life balance, especially now that they’ve returned to a high-pressure international stage. The team, he said, is prepared to put in the hours, and are “ready to grind at any point for however long Adam "kaplan" Kaplan needs [them] to.’” However, they do make an effort to keep their spirits up and brighten the mood, making space for lighter moments—whether it’s joking around on-stage or having just having fun together in and out of the game.

“There is definitely a hard limit,” Zekken admitted. “You can only push so hard. Keeping a good balance of joking around to make sure you’re not miserable, taking breaks if you need to. It’s not very often, but sometimes, taking a day or two off, even if it's in the middle of a split to mentally reset is very important.”

The talent and experience are already there for Sentinels—but maintaining that edge could depend on whether they continue to take care of themselves in and out of the game.

The most underrated team at Masters Toronto?

Zekken also weighed in on the field of competition at Masters Toronto, highlighting Paper Rex as the team to watch, especially after their explosive opening match on Day One where they absolutely shellacked Team Heretics to welcome themselves back to the international stage.

VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Toronto 2025

Team Heretics

0

X

2

Paper Rex

Swiss Stage, Best of 3 - June 7, 2025 - 4:00PM

1

Pearl

13

9

Icebox

13

Team Heretics

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Wo0t

0.92

179

23/27/13

-4

0.85

62.7%

112.8

50%

33%

2

4

benjyfishy

0.80

187

24/29/3

-5

0.83

67.5%

130.4

34%

70%

7

3

RieNs

0.72

176

20/30/6

-10

0.67

59.1%

110.6

33%

29%

2

5

Boo

0.54

106

12/29/14

-17

0.41

55.5%

67.9

33%

0%

0

5

MiniBoo

0.49

119

16/31/4

-15

0.52

48.7%

82.0

44%

25%

2

6

Paper Rex

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Jinggg

1.42

251

32/19/20

+13

1.68

94.2%

152.8

22%

91%

10

1

f0rsakeN

1.41

243

30/17/15

+13

1.76

87.3%

141.0

35%

71%

5

2

PatMen

1.15

213

30/18/9

+12

1.67

82.8%

140.2

32%

29%

2

5

something

1.06

205

27/20/8

+7

1.35

81.8%

139.3

19%

60%

6

4

d4v41

0.89

187

27/21/4

+6

1.29

81.5%

148.1

29%

0%

0

1

“I think they’re going to be better rated now, but I honestly think Paper Rex [is the most underrated],” Zekken said. “People had a bit lower expectations of them, and they came in swinging in their first game, they looked incredible. People already think they’re good, but I think they’re still better than what people think.”

Sentinels are now set to face off against Bilibili Gaming on Day Three, while Paper Rex will clash with Pacific League rivals Gen.G Esports. With both teams riding high off dominant debuts, fans can expect another action-packed day at Masters Toronto.

Stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG for full coverage as the action at Masters Toronto continues to heat up.