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TenZ

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TenZ
TenZ in November 2023
Personal information
BornTyson Van Ngo
(2001-05-05) May 5, 2001 (age 23)
Nanaimo, Canada
PartnerKyedae (2019–present)
Career information
Games
Playing career2019–2024
Role
  • Duelist
  • Initiator
  • Controller
Team history
Counter-Strike:
2019–2020Cloud9
Valorant:
2020–2021Cloud9
2021–2024Sentinels
Career highlights and awards
  • 2x VCT Masters Champion (Reykjavík 2021, Madrid 2024)
  • VCT Masters Grand Finals MVP (Reykjavík 2021)
  • VCT Americas Kickoff Champion (2024)
Twitch information
Channel
Followers4.2 million[1]
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers2.37 million[2]
100,000 subscribers2020
1,000,000 subscribers2021
Last updated: October 24, 2024

Tyson Van Ngo (born May 5,2001), better known as TenZ, is a Canadian online streamer, former professional Valorant player and former professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player.[3][4][5]

He began his esports career in October 2019 as a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player for Cloud9. In April 2020, he transitioned to Valorant, playing for Cloud9. He took a break from professional Valorant in January 2021 to focus on full-time streaming career on Twitch. Later in April, he was loaned to Sentinels. He went on to win the VCT Stage Two Masters in Reykjavík later that year. In June 2021, his Cloud9 contract was bought out by Sentinels, where he would remain until the end of his professional career in September 2024.

Career

[edit]

TenZ's professional career began in July 2019 when, at the age of 18, he joined the Cloud9 team in the first-person shooter title Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). He was seen as a rising North American prodigy. He had previously stood in for some organizations. However, after the team failed to perform at a high level, TenZ was benched in October of that year.[6][7][8]

TenZ began full-time content creation in January 2020.[9] In However, in April 2020, following the public beta release of Riot Games' first-person shooter VALORANT, TenZ announced his decision to retire from CS:GO and opted to transition into VALORANT, thereby becoming Cloud9's first professional player in the title.[10][11]

In January 2021, TenZ announced his departure from professional VALORANT to focus on a career in content creation.[12] However, his hiatus was short-lived, as Cloud9 agreed to loan TenZ to Sentinels in April 2021, following the suspension of Sentinels player Sinatraa.[13] During the first two stages of the 2021 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), TenZ competed remotely from Canada. Sentinels went on to win the first international VALORANT tournament, the VCT Stage 2 Masters Reykjavík after sweeping Fnatic in the grand finals by a score of 3–0; TenZ was named the grand finals MVP.[14] On June 2, 2021, Sentinels bought out TenZ's contract, reported to be valued between US$1.25 to $1.5 million.[15][16]

After their first international trophy on May 30, 2021, TenZ and Sentinels would not win another trophy for almost 3 years.

On April 18, 2023, Sentinels head coach Adam Kaplan announced that TenZ would be temporarily benched due to illness and a hand injury.[17]

On March 24, 2024, TenZ achieved his second international trophy, winning VCT Masters Madrid alongside Sentinels by defeating Gen.G 3-2. With this win, he is the second VALORANT player to win two Masters trophies, and the only player to do so under the same organization. (Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov was the first to do so with Gambit and Fnatic.)[18]

On September 14, 2024, TenZ announced his retirement from professional VALORANT after four years of competing.

Personal life

[edit]

Ngo, born on May 5, 2001,[19] is from Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and is of Vietnamese and French descent.[1] He lived in Canada before moving to Los Angeles in January 2022.[14]

Ngo is currently engaged to Kyedae Shymko, a content creator. The couple announced their engagement in August 2022.[20][19]

Ngo stated in an interview that he had ADHD, but he did not fully address the disorder until he took a break from competitive Valorant.[21]

Ngo also revealed in a video published on the official Sentinels YouTube channel that he is protanomaly colorblind, and as a result uses yellow instead of red as his enemy highlight color in Valorant.[22]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2021 The Game Awards Best Esports Athlete Nominated [23]
Esports Awards Esports PC Player of the Year Nominated [24]
Esports PC Rookie of the Year Nominated
2022 The Streamer Awards Best FPS Streamer Nominated [25]
2023 Gamer of the Year Won [26]
Feb 2024 Best FPS Streamer Nominated [27]
Dec 2024 Nominated [28][29]
Gamer of the Year Nominated

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "About TenZ – Twitch". Twitch. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  2. ^ "About TenZ". YouTube.
  3. ^ "TenZ breaks record for highest ACS in a single game at VCT Masters Berlin | ONE Esports". www.oneesports.gg. September 14, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "eSports Andy: How Good was (peak) Tenz in Valorant?". www.zleague.gg. February 15, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  5. ^ Bhatti, Fariha (December 3, 2021). "Who is TenZ? Everything to know about the best Valorant player". win.gg. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Malinowski, Kamil (October 22, 2019). "TenZ reveals why Cloud9 CSGO benched him". Dexerto. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Miles, Lucas Aznar "LucasAM" (July 2, 2019). "Cloud9 revamp roster with four new players". HLTV.org. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  8. ^ Miles, Lucas Aznar "LucasAM" (October 20, 2019). "Cloud9 bench TenZ; trial Subroza". HLTV.org. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "TenZ – Tyson Ngo". Cloud9. 2019. Tyson "TenZ" Ngo was one of the youngest players in the CS:GO community. He joined Cloud9 as a player for the CS:GO team in October 2019, moved to full time streaming in January 2020, and became Cloud9's first Valorant player.
  10. ^ Reames, Mitch (January 13, 2021). "Timeline of TenZ's tenure and transfer to Sentinels". Nerd Street.
  11. ^ Stubbs, Mike (April 29, 2020). "TenZ is Cloud9's first Valorant pro gamer". Red Bull.
  12. ^ Ziwei, Puah (January 13, 2021). "TenZ steps down from Cloud9 'Valorant' team and competitive play". NME.
  13. ^ Down, Aaron (June 2, 2021). "Sentinels permanently signs Valorant star TenZ for reported seven-figure sum". The Loadout. Network N.
  14. ^ a b Dacanay, Ralston (March 28, 2023). "'Everything feels different': TenZ explains how VALORANT plays on LAN". Dot Esports. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  15. ^ "Sentinels purchase TenZ's contract from Cloud9". Reuters. Field Level Media. June 2, 2021.
  16. ^ Geddes, George (April 21, 2022). "100 Thieves could've acquired TenZ for $2 million in 2021, says Cloud9 CEO". Dot Esports. Gamurs.
  17. ^ Richman, Olivia (April 19, 2023). "TenZ Finally Taking a Break Due to Injured Finger and Illness". Esports Illustrated. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  18. ^ "Sentinels Win the $500,000 'Valorant' Masters Madrid Tournament". Forbes.
  19. ^ a b Mustafa, Filiz (November 10, 2020). "Meet C9 Tenz' girlfriend – Kyedae". HITC. GRV Media.
  20. ^ Pineda, Carlos (August 16, 2022). "'To forever with you, my love': Kyedae and TenZ are now engaged". Spin.ph. GMA New Media.
  21. ^ Datuin, Sage (August 7, 2023). "It's Okay Not To Be Okay: How TenZ Is Learning To Move Forward Through Adversity". Esports Illustrated. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  22. ^ How TenZ sees VALORANT (colorblind), retrieved November 2, 2023
  23. ^ Morrow, Emily (December 9, 2021). "The Game Awards 2021: Here's the Complete List of Winners". Digital Trends.
  24. ^ Sacco, Dom (November 21, 2021). "Caedrel named Esports Analyst of the Year at 2021 Esports Awards, other finalists included UK talent and companies, with Odee, KalKal and more on the judging panel". Esports News UK. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  25. ^ Miceli, Max (February 22, 2022). "All nominees for QTCinderella's Streamer Awards". Dot Esports. GAMURS Group.
  26. ^ Polhamus, Blaine (February 20, 2023). "All 2023 Streamer Awards nominees". Dot Esports. Gamurs.
  27. ^ Michael, Cale; Taifalos, Nicholas (February 18, 2024). "Streamer Awards 2024: All results and winners for every category". Dot Esports. Gamurs. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  28. ^ "The 2024 Streamer Awards: All Nominations". Esports Illustrated On SI. November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  29. ^ DeSena, Gabby (December 8, 2024). "Recap: All 2024 Streamer Awards Winners". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
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