Cloud9 CEO denies TenZ buyout rumors as high as $5 million

Alan Bernal
cloud9 sentinels tenz buyout

Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne dismissed reports of a $5 million buyout attached to Sentinels’ bid for Valorant star Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo.


  • Sentinels are looking for an extended loan on TenZ.
  • If a deal is made, Sentinels would have an option to buy TenZ outright.
  • C9 Jack has denied a reported $5 million buyout tag for TenZ.

C9 Jack dismisses TenZ’s $5 million buyout rumors

Cloud9 and Sentinels have reportedly engaged in talks for an extended loan deal for TenZ that would also include a $5 million buyout option to keep the player, a source told Upcomer’s George Geddes.

After the report was published, Etienne told RushB that the figure was “garbage” and that no deal had been made as of yet. TenZ’s reported $5 million price tag would be a bump from the $2 million buyout that was last known to be attached to the 19-year-old Canadian.

Sentinels are weighing their options as their last ace, Jay ‘Sinatraa’ Won, is still under multiple investigations by Riot and Sentinels for sexual abuse allegations from a former girlfriend.

Even with a stand-in, TenZ was the difference-maker for Sentinels in the first VCT Masters, where the org were eventually crowned champions.

Since then, they were eliminated in the Stage 2 Challengers 1 open qualifiers and are looking forward to Challengers 2 to qualify for Masters in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Sentinels Valorant Roster

Player Previous Team Position
Jared ‘zombs‘ Gitlin N/A Controller/Flex
Hunter ‘SicK‘ Mims N/A Duelist/Entry
Shahzeeb ‘ShahZaM‘ Khan N/A IGL
Michael ‘dapr‘ Gulino N/A Sentinel
Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo Cloud9 Duelist

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About The Author

Alan is a former staff writer for Dexerto based in Southern California who covered esports, internet culture, and the broader games/streaming industry. He is a CSUF Alum with a B.A. in Journalism. He's reported on sports medicine, emerging technology, and local community issues. Got a tip or want to talk?