Ewok signs with Sentinels; moves to VCT Americas
The former RRQ head coach and VCT Pacific broadcast talent is set to join North American giants Sentinels as head coach in Los Angeles.
UNITED STATES – Sentinels have announced Martin “Ewok” van der Walt as their new head coach, replacing Adam “kaplan” Kaplan, who had been part of the North American team since 2022.
The move marks Ewok’s departure from VCT Pacific after a three-year run as RRQ’s head coach. More recently, he had also been working as VCT Pacific broadcast talent, appearing at the past two VCT Ascension events before taking on a permanent role during VCT Pacific Kickoff.
“Ewok has shown the ability to develop a winning VCT roster as he led RRQ to an APAC Stage 1 Championship in 2025, as well as qualifying to Champions Paris. He impressed us with his ability to develop a structure to build long-term improvement in a team,” said Rob Moore, CEO of Sentinels.
“Kaplan had a successful tenure over the last two years, including bringing home a Masters trophy from Madrid in 2024. Our performance at Champs 2025 was disappointing, and the roster decisions Kaplan has made to address these issues have sent us in the wrong direction,” he said.
“We don't make decisions like this lightly, but we also don't believe in waiting when it is clear we are on the wrong path," said Rob Moore. “What we saw at Kickoff wasn't just a results issue; the team wasn't developing the chemistry we needed. Rather than let that continue, we're making changes now to give ourselves the best chance to qualify for Champs 2026.”
Ewok first made his name with Indonesia’s ONIC G in early 2022, leading the team to a runner-up finish at the 2022 VALORANT Challengers APAC Last Chance Qualifier. They fell just short against BOOM Esports in the final, missing out on a spot at VALORANT Champions Istanbul.
Later that year, with the partnered league era beginning and RRQ securing a place, Ewok moved to another Indonesia-based team in what would become his longest stint as a coach to date. While strong results did not come immediately, the South African coach eventually helped RRQ break through in 2025, when they won their first VCT Pacific trophy in Stage 1, finished second in Stage 2, and qualified for three international events: Masters Toronto, Champions Paris, and EWC 2025.
Following the end of the 2025 season, Ewok stepped down from his role to take a short break from full-time coaching, though he said he would still remain involved in the VALORANT scene in other ways. That led to a stint on the broadcast talent lineup for VCT Pacific Kickoff 2026, where his tier-one coaching experience brought a fresh perspective to the analyst desk. The break, however, was short-lived, as he now returns to the coaching booth with the North American giants in Los Angeles.
Sentinels, meanwhile, are coming off a major rebuild that retained only Amine “johnqt” Ouarid and Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey from their 2025 roster. The team also added Gabriel “cortezia” Cortez from MIBR and promoted Mirel “Kyu” Hrustemovic and Yassin “reduxx” Aboulalazm from the Cubert Academy roster. So far, the results have fallen short of expectations, with Sentinels exiting the Americas Kickoff early in 9th–10th place. Their only win came against Evil Geniuses, while losses to FURIA, 100 Thieves, and LEVIATÁN ended their run.
“I'm incredibly excited to join Sentinels,” Ewok said. "I've always believed that championships are built through trust, stability, and a commitment to improving every single day. Sentinels have the infrastructure, the ambition, and the players to compete at the highest level. My job is to bring the structure and process that turns potential into Championships.”
According to the press release from Sentinels CEO Rob Moore, this move is only the first phase of changes to the VALORANT roster. “Sentinels remains committed to building a championship-calibre roster and will share further updates as the process progresses.”
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