Cloud9 TenZ becomes first NA Valorant player to reach highest rank

Cloud9 streamer and former Counter-Strike pro Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo became the first player in North America to reach the highest rank in Valorant.

TenZ became the first player to reach the highest rank in Valorant on May 1. After spending the early stages of ranked play largely at the ‘Immortal’ rank, TenZ was promoted to the game’s ultimate pinnacle, the ‘Valorant’ rank.

He achieved the tier after a game that saw him drop 33 kills on Sage.

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Last year, TenZ was surprisingly benched from Cloud9’s CS:GO roster, and rumors had been circulating that perhaps he was going to be picked up by another team in professional Counter-Strike.

• Read More: Riot dev explains why Valorant’s new headshot sound hasn’t been reverted

However, C9 locked up their prospect and converted him into a full-time streamer before any other organization could swoop in.

Needless to say, the move has been paying massive dividends for Cloud9 as TenZ has risen to extreme prominence in Riot’s next promising esport title.

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With Valorant taking the FPS world by storm, TenZ has emerged as one of the most notable names in the game’s budding community.

However, he’s not the first to achieve the ‘Valorant’ rank on a global scale. Prior to him becoming the first North American player to reach the game’s apex, multiple European players had reportedly reached the rank, as well.

• Read More: Valorant ranked play now live in NA — Europe release date announced

Regardless, the achievement warrants praise and recognition, nonetheless. Even the official social media team congratulated TenZ on his accomplishment.

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What makes this feat even more impressive is that ranked play was only enabled on April 30. It took TenZ just over 24 hours to climb to the top.

In the coming days, it’s possible that we might see more players on the North American servers reach the ‘Valorant’ rank, but for now, he stands alone atop the ladder.