Why CS: GO Pros are Moving to Valorant.

Why CS: GO Pros are Moving to Valorant.

There is this question that has been circulation around the FPS scene since the launch of Valorant. Why CS:GO Pros are moving to Valorant? The answer to that questions is not as easy as you might think. There are some who says it’s about the money, yet there are those who says it’s about the opportunity. Butt in my opinion there is no single answer that can encompass why there has been an exodus of Pros. This article will be focusing on my opinion on what I think has been happening lately.

Let’s start with the grand daddy of FPS games Counter Strike, The game has been around for more than two decades. The game in most people’s eye including mine has single handedly started the FPS competitive scene. This was one of the tournament I have personally handled. This game is near and dear to me.

But the problem is that with an established game, there are a lot of established teams. The opportunity for aspiring pros and established pros to break thru is very limited. Also that given the fact that this is not the favorite game of publisher Valve makes it that more difficult. The big money tournaments are few and far in between. There are still some opinion leader and politicians trying to connect violent games to violent behavior, and CS:GO is player trying to shoot one another with real world guns. Which also to my experience is not very appealing to sponsors. But I digress, I think that the top of the pyramid in CS:GO is very well established and are ruled by giant sharks which makes breaking thru very hard. The dominant teams keep getting richer and attracts all the talents.

Enter Valorant, the upstart new FPS game from game developers RIOT Games. A lot of people are just saying this is another CS:GO clone but it’s not. The game player is different, CS:GO is faster but Valorant has the flavor of different agent abilities. It’s more akin to a MOBA than your usual FPS. RIOT is throwing everything they have into it including the kitchen sink.

That being said, this game being relatively new the field is wide open for upstart teams and other FPS pros to jump onboard. Everybody get’s to start fresh. everybody is at the starting line and the amount of money in the game is just ridiculous at this point. Local tournament reaching Php 50,000.00 regularly, and some even higher. Internationally teams like TSM, Sentinels and Players like Wardell and Tenz we re given the chance to maximize their potential. Some say they were just tier 2 CS:GO players that are dominating in Valorant and it shows the quality of players there. But I totally disagree with this. Former CS:GO pros made their decision to move for their professional growth, be it financially or for fame. They are still working just as hard, competing at high level which is no different. The only thing that is different is that the publisher is all in on the game. Being all in means there are a lot of tournaments and this also gives smaller organizers to hold tournaments.

In my opinion it about the opportunity to play and the chance to get after those big money tournaments being the ultimate allure for those CS:GO pros to retire and move to Valorant. What do you guys think?