TenZ

{{Short description|Vietnamese-Canadian online streamer (born 2001)}}

{{Infobox video game player

| name = TenZ

| image = SEN TENZ 2023.jpg

| upright = .9

| caption = TenZ in November 2023

| birth_name = Tyson Van Ngo

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|5|5}}

| birth_place = Nanaimo, Canada

{{Infobox person|embed=yes

| partner = Kyedae (2019–present)

}}

| career_role = {{hlist|Duelist|Initiator|Controller}}

| career_games = {{hlist|CS:GO|Valorant}}

| career_start = 2019

| career_end = 2024

| team1 = Counter-Strike:

| years2 = 2019–2020

| team2 = Cloud9

| team3 = Valorant:

| years4 = 2020–2021

| team4 = Cloud9

| years5 = 2021–2024

| team5 = Sentinels

| highlights = * 2x VCT Masters Champion (Reykjavík 2021, Madrid 2024)

VCT Masters Grand Finals MVP (Reykjavík 2021)
VCT Americas Kickoff Champion (2024)

| module = {{Infobox Twitch streamer|subbox=yes

| channel_name = TenZ

| genre =

| games =

| followers = 4.4 million{{Cite web|title=About TenZ – Twitch|url=https://www.twitch.tv/TenZ/about|website=Twitch|access-date=February 9, 2025}}

}}

| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality|subbox=yes

| channel_handle = TenZ

| subscribers = 2.48 million

| silver_year = 2020

| gold_year = 2021

| stats_update = February 9, 2025

}}

TenZ (born May 5, 2001), is a Canadian online streamer and former professional Valorant and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player.{{Cite web|title=TenZ breaks record for highest ACS in a single game at VCT Masters Berlin {{!}} ONE Esports|url=https://www.oneesports.gg/valorant/tenz-breaks-record-for-highest-acs/|website=www.oneesports.gg|language=en-US|date=September 14, 2021|access-date=March 12, 2024}}{{Cite web|title=eSports Andy: How Good was (peak) Tenz in Valorant?|url=https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/esports-andy-how-good-was-peak-tenz-in-valorant/|website=www.zleague.gg|language=en-US|date=February 15, 2024|access-date=March 12, 2024}}{{Cite web|title=Who is TenZ? Everything to know about the best Valorant player|url=https://win.gg/news/best-valorant-player-tenz/|website=win.gg|language=en|last=Bhatti|first=Fariha|date=December 3, 2021|access-date=March 12, 2024}}

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

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.{{Cite news |last=Malinowski |first=Kamil |date=October 22, 2019 |title=TenZ reveals why Cloud9 CSGO benched him |url=https://www.dexerto.com/csgo/csgo-tenz-reveals-why-he-was-benched-by-cloud9-1170513/ |access-date=December 8, 2024 |work=Dexerto}}{{Cite news |last=Miles |first=Lucas Aznar "LucasAM" |date=July 2, 2019 |title=Cloud9 revamp roster with four new players |url=https://www.hltv.org/news/27251/cloud9-revamp-roster-with-four-new-players |access-date=December 9, 2024 |work=HLTV.org}}{{Cite news |last=Miles |first=Lucas Aznar "LucasAM" |date=October 20, 2019 |title=Cloud9 bench TenZ; trial Subroza |url=https://www.hltv.org/news/28190/cloud9-bench-tenz-trial-subroza |access-date=December 9, 2024 |work=HLTV.org}}

TenZ began full-time content creation in January 2020.{{cite web|title=TenZ – Tyson Ngo|url=https://cloud9.gg/players/tyson-ngo/|website=Cloud9|quote=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.|date=2019}} 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.{{cite web|title=Timeline of TenZ's tenure and transfer to Sentinels|url=https://nerdstreet.com/news/2021/6/tenz-valorant-timeline-sentinels-cloud9|website=Nerd Street|language=en|last1=Reames|first1=Mitch|date=January 13, 2021}}{{cite web|title=TenZ is Cloud9's first Valorant pro gamer.|url=https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/valorant-cloud9-tenz-interview|website=Red Bull|language=en|last1=Stubbs|first1=Mike|date=April 29, 2020}}

In January 2021, TenZ announced his departure from professional Valorant to focus on a career in content creation.{{cite web|title=TenZ steps down from Cloud9 'Valorant' team and competitive play|url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/tenz-steps-down-from-cloud9-valorant-team-and-competitive-play-2855271|website=NME|last1=Ziwei|first1=Puah|date=January 13, 2021}} However, his hiatus was short-lived, as Cloud9 agreed to loan TenZ to Sentinels in April 2021, following the suspension of Sentinels player Sinatraa.{{cite web|title=Sentinels permanently signs Valorant star TenZ for reported seven-figure sum|url=https://www.theloadout.com/valorant/sentinels-tenz-confirmed|website=The Loadout|publisher=Network N|last1=Down|first1=Aaron|date=June 2, 2021}} 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.{{cite news|title='Everything feels different': TenZ explains how VALORANT plays on LAN|url=https://dotesports.com/valorant/news/everything-feels-different-tenz-explains-how-valorant-plays-on-lan|work=Dot Esports|last1=Dacanay|first1=Ralston|date=March 28, 2023|access-date=September 21, 2023}} On June 2, 2021, Sentinels bought out TenZ's contract, reported to be valued between {{USD|1.25}} to $1.5{{nbsp}}million.{{cite web|title=Sentinels purchase TenZ's contract from Cloud9|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/esports-valorant-tenz-contract/sentinels-purchase-tenzs-contract-from-cloud9-idUSFLM7sh1kC|website=Reuters|publisher=Field Level Media|language=en|date=June 2, 2021}}{{cite web|title=100 Thieves could've acquired TenZ for $2 million in 2021, says Cloud9 CEO|url=https://dotesports.com/valorant/news/100-thieves-couldve-acquired-tenz-2-million-says-cloud9-ceo|website=Dot Esports|publisher=Gamurs|last1=Geddes|first1=George|date=April 21, 2022}}

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.{{cite news|title=TenZ Finally Taking a Break Due to Injured Finger and Illness|url=https://esi.si.com/valorant/tenz-finally-taking-a-break-due-to-injured-finger-and-illness|work=Esports Illustrated|language=en|last1=Richman|first1=Olivia|date=April 19, 2023|access-date=September 21, 2023}}

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.){{cite web|title=Sentinels Win the $500,000 'Valorant' Masters Madrid Tournament|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikestubbs/2024/03/24/sentinels-win-the-500000-valorant-masters-madrid-tournament/?sh=70fda05779ee|website=Forbes}}

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

Personal life

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

Ngo is currently engaged to Kyedae Shymko, a content creator. The couple announced their engagement in August 2022.{{cite web|title='To forever with you, my love': Kyedae and TenZ are now engaged|url=https://www.spin.ph/esports/to-forever-with-you-my-love-kyedae-and-tenz-are-officially-engaged-a4858-20220817|website=Spin.ph|publisher=GMA New Media|language=en|last1=Pineda|first1=Carlos|date=August 16, 2022}}{{cite web|title=Meet C9 Tenz' girlfriend – Kyedae|url=https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/11/10/c9-tenz-girlfriend/|website=HITC|publisher=GRV Media|last1=Mustafa|first1=Filiz|date=November 10, 2020}}

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.{{cite news|title=It's Okay Not To Be Okay: How TenZ Is Learning To Move Forward Through Adversity|url=https://esi.si.com/valorant/sentinels-tenz-kyedae-adhd|work=Esports Illustrated|language=en|last1=Datuin|first1=Sage|date=August 7, 2023|access-date=September 21, 2023}}

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.{{Citation|title=How TenZ sees VALORANT (colorblind)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkF74sIUDww|language=en|access-date=November 2, 2023}}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col" \| Ceremony ! scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Category ! scope="col" \| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| {{Abbr\|Ref.\|Reference(s)}}
rowspan="2" \|Esports Awards \| rowspan="2" \|2021 \|Esports PC Player of the Year \|{{nom}} \| style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" \|{{cite news \|last1=Sacco \|first1=Dom \|date=November 21, 2021 \|title=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 \|url=https://esports-news.co.uk/2021/11/21/caedrel-esports-analyst-of-the-year-2021-esports-awards-winners/ \|access-date=July 22, 2022 \|work=Esports News UK}}
Esports PC Rookie of the Year \|{{nom}}
The Game Awards \| scope="row" \| 2021 \| Best Esports Athlete \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align:center" \| {{cite web \|last1=Morrow \|first1=Emily \|date=December 9, 2021 \|title=The Game Awards 2021: Here's the Complete List of Winners \|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/game-awards-2021-winners/ \|website=Digital Trends \|language=en}}
rowspan="5" \| The Streamer Awards \| scope="row" \| 2021 \| Best FPS Streamer \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align:center" \| {{cite web \|last1=Miceli \|first1=Max \|date=February 22, 2022 \|title=All nominees for QTCinderella's Streamer Awards \|url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/all-nominees-for-qtcinderellas-streamer-awards \|website=Dot Esports \|publisher=GAMURS Group}}
scope="row" \| 2022 \| Gamer of the Year \| {{won}} \| style="text-align:center" \| {{cite web \|last1=Polhamus \|first1=Blaine \|date=February 20, 2023 \|title=All 2023 Streamer Awards nominees \|url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/all-2023-streamer-awards-nominees \|website=Dot Esports \|publisher=Gamurs}}
scope="row" \| 2023 \| rowspan="2" \| Best FPS Streamer \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align:center" \| {{cite web \|last1=Michael \|first1=Cale \|last2=Taifalos \|first2=Nicholas \|date=February 18, 2024 \|title=Streamer Awards 2024: All results and winners for every category \|url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/streamer-awards-2024-all-results-and-winners-for-every-category \|access-date=February 18, 2024 \|website=Dot Esports \|publisher=Gamurs}}
rowspan="2" \| 2024 \|{{nom}} \| style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" \|{{Cite web \|date=2024-11-12 \|title=The 2024 Streamer Awards: All Nominations \|url=https://www.si.com/esports/news/2024-streamer-awards-nominations \|access-date=2024-11-12 \|website=Esports Illustrated On SI \|language=en-US}}{{Cite web \|last=DeSena \|first=Gabby \|date=December 8, 2024 \|title=Recap: All 2024 Streamer Awards Winners \|url=https://www.si.com/esports/news/all-2024-streamer-awards-winners \|access-date=December 8, 2024 \|website=Sports Illustrated \|language=en-US}}
Gamer of the Year \|{{nom}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col" | Ceremony

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Category

! scope="col" | Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

rowspan="2" |Esports Awards

| rowspan="2" |2021

|Esports PC Player of the Year

|{{nom}}

| style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" |{{cite news |last1=Sacco |first1=Dom |date=November 21, 2021 |title=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 |url=https://esports-news.co.uk/2021/11/21/caedrel-esports-analyst-of-the-year-2021-esports-awards-winners/ |access-date=July 22, 2022 |work=Esports News UK}}

Esports PC Rookie of the Year

|{{nom}}

The Game Awards

| scope="row" | 2021

| Best Esports Athlete

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align:center" | {{cite web |last1=Morrow |first1=Emily |date=December 9, 2021 |title=The Game Awards 2021: Here's the Complete List of Winners |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/game-awards-2021-winners/ |website=Digital Trends |language=en}}

rowspan="5" | The Streamer Awards

| scope="row" | 2021

| Best FPS Streamer

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align:center" | {{cite web |last1=Miceli |first1=Max |date=February 22, 2022 |title=All nominees for QTCinderella's Streamer Awards |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/all-nominees-for-qtcinderellas-streamer-awards |website=Dot Esports |publisher=GAMURS Group}}

scope="row" | 2022

| Gamer of the Year

| {{won}}

| style="text-align:center" | {{cite web |last1=Polhamus |first1=Blaine |date=February 20, 2023 |title=All 2023 Streamer Awards nominees |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/all-2023-streamer-awards-nominees |website=Dot Esports |publisher=Gamurs}}

scope="row" | 2023

| rowspan="2" | Best FPS Streamer

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align:center" | {{cite web |last1=Michael |first1=Cale |last2=Taifalos |first2=Nicholas |date=February 18, 2024 |title=Streamer Awards 2024: All results and winners for every category |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/streamer-awards-2024-all-results-and-winners-for-every-category |access-date=February 18, 2024 |website=Dot Esports |publisher=Gamurs}}

rowspan="2" | 2024

|{{nom}}

| style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" |{{Cite web |date=2024-11-12 |title=The 2024 Streamer Awards: All Nominations |url=https://www.si.com/esports/news/2024-streamer-awards-nominations |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=Esports Illustrated On SI |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=DeSena |first=Gabby |date=December 8, 2024 |title=Recap: All 2024 Streamer Awards Winners |url=https://www.si.com/esports/news/all-2024-streamer-awards-winners |access-date=December 8, 2024 |website=Sports Illustrated |language=en-US}}

Gamer of the Year

|{{nom}}

References

Category:2001 births

Category:Living people

Category:Canadian esports players

Category:Cloud9 (esports) players

Category:Canadian Twitch (service) streamers

Category:Canadian people of Vietnamese descent

Category:Canadian people of French descent

Category:People from Vancouver Island

Category:People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Category:Valorant players

Category:Streamer Award winners