Zellsis talks about being oldest player at Masters, the power of “enjoying the journey” as a pro player

Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro has heard it all. After being called “unc” countless times by people on social media, the soon-to-be 27-year-old is officially the oldest player at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Bangkok 2025. After he was reminded of this fact at a pre-event press conference, he shared a knowing laugh with his teammate Marshall "N4RRATE" Massey, before giving the situation some thought.

Patience is key

He is also the oldest player on 12, and could turn 27 on the day of the tournament’s Grand Finals on March 2. His teammate, Amine "Johnqt" Ouarid, is also turning 27 in September. Because of this, Zellsis has plenty of experience and “old man wisdom” to share to his younger teammates, including how to “survive” in such an unforgiving industry like esports.The veteran leader said that as he has gotten older, he has learned to be patient with his path through his professional career, and he wishes to teach this to his younger teammates.

“I think the biggest thing is as I've gotten older, sadly, I'm a little bit more patient. Whereas like the young guys, you know, when I was their age, I wanted it now, now, now, I think I can bring a lot more of enjoying the journey and enjoying like what we're doing in the moment rather than jumping all over the place. I think that's a big thing for young guys in esports to understand. But I think that's kind of how you can survive in this industry is patience. So I think that's a big thing that I'm trying to help them with.”

It's not the destination...

Many players rush to find success and championships, and Zellsis understands why, since an esports player’s career can be notoriously short and one’s “prime” can fizzle out just as quickly as it had begun. The industry can be extremely brutal at times, with teams switching out players at the tip of a hat. However, esports players can experience highs that not many people can talk about, including the excitement of competition, along with experiencing a life that not many people could even imagine, playing VALORANT for a living.

Taking time to appreciate their path to championships, victories alongside their teammates, and even the losses can add even more meaning to their career path, and for Zellsis, who has experienced so many highs and lows from his time as a VALORANT pro and as a CS:GO pro, he has plenty to look back on. He has traveled across the world for his career, has played for multiple major organizations, and has built himself one of the best fanbases for a single player in the scene.

He might be the oldest at Masters Bangkok, but he is still a master at his craft gunning to defend his team’s throne. If you want to keep up with Sentinels’ run through Masters Bangkok, stay tuned in with THESPIKE.GG, where you can get all the latest news and updates from the event.