Earlier this week, almost in parallel with news that CLG would be laying off a majority of its staff on Thursday and focusing only on its League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) franchise, rumors began surfacing that Los Angeles-based esports organization Sentinels was moving quickly to secure a slot in Riot’s franchised league—either from a distressed organization such as CLG or TSM, or speaking directly to Riot.
The origin of at least some of those rumors was Robert “Sorenzen” Hanes, president & co-founder of The Game Haus, and the host of Talking TSM.
Hanes wrote on Twitter on April 3:
Rumor I was just told is that Sentinels might be moving quickly for an #LCS spot next. Will work to see if I hear anymore and to confirm if it’s true
— Robert “Sorenzen” Hanes (@TGHRobertHanes) April 4, 2023
He added in a subsequent tweet on April 4:
More on the Sentinels stuff. Apparently, they have at least inquired on the pricing of an #LCS spot from the numerous teams that could be looking to exit. Nothing is imminent as it seems like they are still assessing the situation.
— Robert “Sorenzen” Hanes (@TGHRobertHanes) April 4, 2023
But according to a high-ranking employee at Sentinels who spoke to The Esports Advocate on background, these rumors are not true. Sentinels tells TEA that it is not actively speaking to “anyone” about the LCS, despite the opportunities that might be available due to other organizations in North America struggling financially.
Sentinels is a long-time participant in Riot’s Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), as well as Halo Championship Series (HCS) and Apex Legends Championship Series (ALGS—on March 11, Sentinels acquired the roster of The Guard), but does not currently have a League of Legends-related roster.
