If you want to get to the top of professional Valorant, your path is likely to be full of twists and turns. Dapr was a great player for Sentinels, and now he’s at the center of debates about what will happen with Valorant’s Tier 2 scene.

Professional Valorant: An Important Choice and the Rise of Sentinels

Dapr took a big step in his career in 2020 when he quit professional Counter-Strike and joined the growing world of Valorant. His choice paid off, as he became an important part of the Sentinels, a team that ruled the scene and won many tournaments. The high didn’t last, though.

Unexpected problems arose during the 2021–2022 season, which caused the Sentinels to rethink their team. And in the middle of all these changes, Sentinels started expanding, which would have a big impact on Dapr’s career.

A Fall from Grace: How Franchising Changed Tier 2

Sentinels’ move to franchising put Dapr back in Tier 2 and made him look like he didn’t belong there. Before Oxygen Esports hired him, he played for a short time with G2 Esports in the VCT Ascension league. At this point, Dapr thinks about how the introduction of franchising hurt players’ chances to take advantage of possibilities.

Professional Valorant: Franchising: The Reason Why Tier 2 Is Falling

As the 2024 season was about to start, on December 20, Dapr took to Twitter/X to share his concerns. He plainly said, “I quit CS because of a dying T2 scene, then after 3 years Valorant has a dying T2 scene.” People think that the end of Tier 2 in Valorant was set when franchising started, and his message backs this up.

He says that the drop is because franchising sets up false limits that make it harder for new talent to shine. Dapr hopes that those who are touched by these changes can find stability as things change around them.

Echoes of Concern: How the Community Reacted

Others in the game community agreed with Dapr, which started a conversation about the effects of franchising. Vanity, a well-known Valorant pro who has played in both Tier 1 and Tier 2, added his voice and said he felt like he was seeing “the same thing happen again.”

The community responded quickly and with support, and many people shared Dapr’s worries. “Franchising. Is. Bad. For. Esports.” was the short answer from one person. The general opinion is that franchising not only doesn’t work, but it also gets in the way of possible underdogs’ rise.

Professional Valorant: There is still a divided landscape.

Valorant is now in its second year of franchising, and the split between Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams is still there. Only a few Tier 2 teams have the chance to move up to the big games, similar to how The Guard won Ascension in 2023 and secured their spot among the franchised teams.

Finding Your Way Through the Difficult Ground Ahead

The things Dapr said helped NIAGASLOT understand the many problems players in Valorant’s Tier 2 scene face. As people in the community try to understand the huge effects of franchising, they hope that positive changes can be made to make the business world more open and competitive, which will help both seasoned workers and up-and-coming stars.