VALORANT has been causing a stir in the esports scene since 2020. Riot’s first shooter could soon displace the previous top dog CS:GO.
For a long time, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was considered THE shooter of the esports industry. No other FPS title has been able to match the worldwide success of Valve’s game. With the release of VALORANT last year, however, Riot Games brought a competitor onto the market that can hold a candle to CS:GO.
For many in the industry, the game is already considered the new star in the esport sky. There are several reasons for this.
Reason 1: New look, old game principle
The publisher already laid the foundation for success in the development of the game with a simple formula: A familiar, straightforward game mechanic meets a fresh look. Riot did not reinvent the shooter genre, but oriented itself towards established representatives such as CS:GO or Overwatch.
In VALORANT, too, two teams of five players each meet. One team must place the spike in the middle of the map, the other must try to prevent this. A game mechanic typical of CS:GO. However, while Valve’s successful title relies on a real setting with terrorists and an anti-terrorist unit, Riot builds on a more comic-like look with fictional agents. The Overwatch principle.
So you could say VALORANT is a mix of tactical and hero shooter. This mix and the familiar mechanics make the game accessible to many shooter fans.
Reason 2: Professionals love VALORANT
Not only hobby gamers can do something with VALORANT. In the course of the closed beta in spring 2020, many esport players were also allowed to test the game – with mostly positive feedback. The potential of the shooter did not go unnoticed by large organisations like 100 Thieves, BIG or Fnatic, who quickly set up new rosters.
This caused a stir in the scene. CS:GO players in particular set their sights on a new start in VALORANT, including familiar faces like Hiko, nitr0 and ScreaM. Tyson “TenZ” Ngo also switched shooters and is now considered one of the most expensive esport players in the world.
The wave of changes gave VALORANT a big push and made it a major player in the esports game right from the start.
Reason 3: Riot can Esport
Riot Games was not the least responsible for this. The publisher already showed with League of Legends that it can make big esports titles. The game is still generating record numbers almost 12 years after its release. In 2019, 3.9 million fans watched the semi-final of the World Championship, or Worlds, between T1 and G2 Esports online. Some TV broadcasts can only dream of that.
All LoL events are also perfectly organised, even during the pandemic. From the moderation to the technical implementation, everything is professionally realised. You can see that in the broadcasts – and VALORANT also benefits from that.
omg in person PGL with @G2Mikyx pic.twitter.com/WFVKw5eKxq
— Eefje Depoortere (@sjokz) July 9, 2021
Riot has given the teams enough time to familiarise themselves with the game and has deliberately not planned any official tournaments for 2020. Instead, the pros could practice at events like the Ignition Series and the publisher had enough time to set up a suitable tournament series. The Champions Tour, which started in 2021, offers an exciting concept with many top teams working towards the big Champions event at the end of the season.
Reason 4: Spectator numbers are booming
Expanding the professional business is one thing, keeping fans interested is another. And here, too, Riot’s LoL experience pays off. The company was already successful in marketing during the beta phase. Although it was a closed beta, big esporters, streamers and content creators who had access to the game were allowed to distribute VALORANT keys on Twitch.
This caused a rapid increase in viewership on the streaming platform and a huge player base. According to Riot Games, around three million users were active daily during the beta alone.
Although the viewer numbers flattened out somewhat towards the end of 2020 due to the absence of major tournaments, the Champions Tour can now score all the more points for this. Official figures show a real boom with up to 750,000 viewers. This is also due to Riot’s co-streaming concept on Twitch, which already got the stumbling LCS up and running again. Here, selected streamers watch matches with their community and thus attract attention.
Reason 5: Sponsors get on board
Shooters and sponsors – it’s one of those things. The genre is still negatively tainted, especially CS:GO is still associated in society with rampages and terrorist attacks. This deters many companies from investing in the titles. Shooters, however, are an important part of Esports, and sponsors are aware of that. Nevertheless, the barrier to entry is high.
When it comes to shooters, companies tend to act timidly.
JMR Luna, CEO of OG Esports, explained this at the BMW Esports Boost. Pia Schörner, Head of BMW Esports at BMW Group, could also confirm this: “We are very cautious here.” VALORANT seems to be an exception, however, because BMW has now entered the scene with its own teams. But why VALORANT in particular?
There are shooters and shooters. We have the classic Red Blood shooters like CS:GO and Call of Duty. On the other hand, there are the fantasy shooters, without blood, so to speak – that’s VALORANT. We saw a great opportunity here to enter the segment
So the very remoteness from reality ensures that sponsors find the title more palatable. The image of the brand apparently suffers less in many eyes than when entering CS:GO. And that is exactly what should give VALORANT a decisive advantage in the future. Because the lower entry hurdle will also spread the shooter in the business world. The competitive spirit will grow as a result. More companies will invest, more money will flow.
Sooner or later, CS:GO will probably lose out.
