Sentinels Sign OXY From Cloud9 on First Day of VCT Free Agency

Sentinels have signed Francis "OXY" Hoang to their VALORANT roster. The organization officially announced the move on November 2, 2026, and announced it on X. The signing confirms weeks of reports linking OXY to Sentinels.

Sentinels presented the arrival in short terms. "A new star for a new era," the announcement said, as reported by GameRiv. The timing mattered as much as the name. November 2 was the first day of the VCT off-season transfer window and the day free agency opened, and Sentinels moved on that first day.

Why the move opened up

The move grew out of the new VCT partnership list. Cloud9 was left without a VCT partnership slot for the new cycle, which freed OXY to join a partnered team. Sentinels hold one of those places. Sentinels was selected as one of the eight VCT Americas partner teams for the 2027-2028 seasons, out of 32 partner organizations chosen by Riot Games across four regions.

For the player, that difference is direct. He leaves a team outside the partnership program for a team inside it, in the same region, in the role he already plays.

Three years at Cloud9

OXY is an American Duelist who spent three years with Cloud9 before the move. His individual record in that time was strong. He ranked among the region's top Duelists statistically, season after season.

The team record did not match it. Cloud9 has not secured a regional championship or qualified for an international event since VCT 2023 LOCK//IN, despite OXY's numbers. Three years of that gap between personal form and team results is the background to this transfer.

OXY marked the end of his Cloud9 time in a farewell video. "All good things come to an end. I appreciate all the memories and times I had at Cloud9. It was a dream come true to be given the opportunity to play on the VCT stage alongside all my teammates and I loved all the memories and tribulations we all went through. Now its time for a new era," he said.

He is not the only departure from that roster. Jordan Zellsis Montemurro will also leave Cloud9 during the offseason, and no information has been revealed about his next destination.

The roster he joins

At Sentinels, OXY joins a roster with johnqt, Reduxx and cortezia, managed by Bryan Zyto Ybanez. One player spot remains open, so the roster is not yet complete.

The Duelist vacancy itself is recent. Sentinels had announced the departures of Jerrwin and JonahP on October 30, and Jerrwin's exit opened the Duelist spot OXY now fills.

Sentinels need the change to work. The team missed international events entirely in 2026 after reaching them in 2025. VCT Kickoff for the new season is set for January 2027, which gives the rebuilt roster a fixed first test and gives Sentinels a short window to fill the last open spot before it.