TenZ Says VALORANT Was Better with Reyna Disabled

Reyna has just returned to VALORANT after a three-day removal, but it seems the saga isn’t over yet — some players have taken to social media saying the game was better without her, with ex-Sentinels icon TenZ being one of them. Here’s everything we know about TenZ’s statement that ranked is “more enjoyable” without Reyna and how it connects to current community sentiment.

VALORANT icon TenZ is a household name. Originally shifting to VALORANT after a Counter-Strike background, TenZ is one of the game’s most successful esports athletes and most famous influencers, with over 4.3 million Twitch followers. He is most famous for his time on the North American team Sentinels, where he dominated North American Challenger circuits and won two Masters events in 2021 and 2024. Now that TenZ is retired, fans often tune in for his insight on VALORANT’s meta and tips to improve.

On March 21 2025, VALORANT unexpectedly disabled its agent Reyna after a serious bug affecting her abilities emerged. The decision left players unable to access her in all queues, even replacing her current Career History icon with early concept art. Reyna remained absent for over three days before being re-added on March 24. For a full rundown of the situation, check our related article below.

Related Article: Reyna Is Back In VALORANT, Feelings are Mixed

Just an hour after Reyna’s return, TenZ took to X.com to offer his take on the situation. The ex-pro stated: “Lowkey reyna being disabled was a more enjoyable time playing ranked, now we all suffer from reyna insta-locks bottom fragging again.”

Though the statement is lighthearted, it is significant that one of VALORANT’s most well-known personalities has commented on the situation. The post may also reflect a greater phenomenon of dissatisfaction since TenZ’s statement seems to align with much of the player base’s feelings.

While TenZ’s statement might be the most prominent comment praising Reyna’s removal, it is certainly not the only one as many members of the VALORANT community have expressed that they preferred the game without the agent present. This began before she was fixed and re-added, with G2’s official account replying to the removal news with a joyful dolphin meme and a “CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS REAL LIFE” caption.

In fact, an unexpected amount of comments on posts announcing Reyna’s removal are overwhelmingly positive. When VALORANT’s Live Design Lead @penguinVALORANT announced on March 21 that the team was working to re-add Reyna in the “next week,” many users replied cheekily telling them to ‘take as long as you need’ or not bring her back at all. Penguin’s announcement even acknowledged this phenomenon, saying that the replies on VALORANT’s original post removing Reyna were “exactly what I’d expect.”

Reyna is traditionally considered one of VALORANT’s ‘sweatier’ agents, possibly adding to her poor perception. She relies heavily on aim and game sense, so it can be frustrating to have her on your team if she isn’t performing well. This irritation can also extend to Reynas on the enemy team, since she snowballs to an aggressive carry when used by enemy smurfs.

It’s extremely unlikely that Reyna would ever be permanently removed since she is a core facet of many team comps, has a sizable pick rate and is one of the game’s oldest agents. However, the community’s dissatisfaction is spawning calls for potential reworks. Many players are also offering another more nuanced yet popular take, recommending that Riot collect data on Reyna’s performance, conduct player surveys and consider adjusting her kit.