Sentinels sack kaplan, former-RRQ coach Ewok joins to head Stage 1 roster rebuild

Sentinels have officially parted ways with head coach Adam “kaplan” Kaplan and announced the signing of Marthinus Jacobus “Ewok” van der Walt as his replacement. The move, confirmed via an official press release from the organization, marks the beginning of what CEO Rob Moore has described as a broader roster overhaul, one aimed squarely at qualifying for Champions 2026 after a bruising start to the year.

A Disappointing Kickoff Accelerates Change

Sentinels finished 9th/10th at the VCT Americas Kickoff, a result that sealed their absence from the first international event of the 2026 season. While the result was painful on its own terms, it served to deepen an internal divide that had apparently been building for some time.

In a live stream following the announcement, Moore was unusually candid about the breakdown in the relationship with kaplan, revealing that the coach had sought to move zekken off the duelist role, strip johnqt of his IGL responsibilities, and only retain Zellsis and N4RRATE from the existing roster. Sentinels did not agree with that vision, and when Kaplan’s proposed direction meant not offering zekken a contract renewal, Moore said the disconnect became impossible to ignore.

As quoted in Sentinels’ official announcement, Moore reflected on kaplan’s time with the team: “kaplan had a successful tenure over the last two years, including bringing home a Masters trophy from Madrid in 2024. Our performance at Champions 2025 was disappointing, and the roster decisions kaplan has made to address these issues have sent us in the wrong direction.”

Moore also confirmed a structural shift going forward: coaches will no longer hold final say on roster decisions; a notable change of power from how things had previously operated under kaplan.

These decisions are never easy, but we believe this is the best path forward. I will give more context during Tarik’s stream at 12.30pm LA time today. pic.twitter.com/4yHt6MELlz

— Rob Moore (@robmooreEsports) February 22, 2026

Who Is Ewok?

Ewok arrives as one of the more decorated coaches to have operated outside of North America in recent memory. He spent several years developing Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ) from a mid-table Pacific squad into a regional powerhouse, and in 2025 the results spoke for themselves — he led RRQ to the Pacific Stage 1 championship, their first-ever VCT trophy, and subsequently guided them to Champions Paris as the second seed out of the Pacific region.

Ewok had announced at the end of 2025 that he would be taking a break from coaching for the 2026 season, spending time as an analyst and commentator on the VCT Pacific broadcast desk. That break, evidently, did not last long, and he now joins Sentinels with a shared vision of the direction of the roster moving forwards.

Sentinels CEO Rob Moore spoke to Ewok’s coaching philosophy in the announcement: “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.”

Ewok himself said on the opportunity: “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.”

What Comes Next For The Roster

The coaching change is only the first domino. Moore confirmed during his stream that the roster itself is set for significant changes. Johnqt is confirmed to be reinstated as the team’s IGL, reversing one of the key points of contention with kaplan. Kyu has been confirmed as departing, while reduxx and cortezia are confirmed to be staying. N4RRATE’s future with the team remains uncertain.

With two roster moves expected, player trials are underway, with JonahP was mentioned by Moore as someone the team is considering. In a moment that will delight the Sentinels community, Moore also confirmed that the door remains wide open for TenZ, stating he would bring the franchise icon back without hesitation if TenZ (who had been a key player in both of SEN’s prior trophy-winning runs) wanted to return. Moore summarized the urgency behind the timing: “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 Champions 2026.”

With Stage 1 on the horizon and over a month until Sentinels’ next match, Ewok will have a narrow window to put his stamp on a roster that, with the right moves, has genuine potential to make noise in VCT Americas.