Sinatraa returns to esports? – Overwatch star attempts Valorant comeback

Jay “Sinatraa” Won made a name for himself in the Overwatch League, dominating the game as part of Shock’s record-breaking squad, and is often called the best Overwatch player of all time. He switched over to Valorant and found success with the original Sentinels lineup before his competitive career was put on hold.

Can Sinatraa return to esports? He is currently trying to mount a big comeback, should he be allowed?

Sinatraa Suspension and Absence

After being involved with Valorant’s early competitive scene, Sinatraa was suspended from the team (Sentinels), after allegations of sexual misconduct were levied against him.

While he initially refused to cooperate with an investigation into the allegations, audio evidence and public pressure have forced the player into admitting his wrong-doing.

The outcome of this was a 6-month ban from competitive play. More than that, many people assumed the player was done. He’d had a lengthy career in the Overwatch League and the seriousness of his behavior did look to signal the end of things.

Looks like Jay isn’t planning on bowing out just yet as his return to esports now looks certain.

Sinatraa announces return to Esports

In recent days, it’s looked ever more likely that Sinatraa will be making a comeback to esports. The former OWL player seems to want to return to Valorant and Sentinels, at least that’s his first choice.

Things started with this tweet:

The Sentinels organization hasn’t publicly commented on Sinatraa’s return to esports. However, the team is currently missing Jared “zombs” Gitlin, and they’ve already restarted uploading footage of Sinatraa playing with the team.

Should Sinatraa return to esports?

Sinatraa’s comeback attempt sheds another light on his past actions. While they don’t directly relate to esports and its performance, the allegations and evidence provided were privy to public scrutiny. The allegations included an audio file that backed the allegations up pretty strongly, coupled with his refusal to engage with the investigations.

Nothing conclusive about actions taken was reveled to the public following the release.

The main question at the moment isn’t really about what Sinatraa did, but if that makes a difference to fans and esports orgs. It isn’t entirely clear how the Sentinels have processed things since the initial suspension.

Reaction has been somewhat mixed.

Some have praised his return to esports, and are excited to see if his skills still hold up. Others have been pretty clear that they don’t see Sinatraa returning to competitive gaming as anything close to positive.

A good case can be made that Sinatraa’s behavior should rule him out of a comeback to esports. To many however, it seems like personal behavior doesn’t matter too much across esports if their performance gets results. There is also a discussion to be a had about where the line is drawn with players facing these types of situations.

Is there a path to redemption and who gets to decide?

After initial backlash on his original tweet, Sinatraa went on to clarify the matter, and put his perspective on things up for discussion.