Gaming icon Michael “shroud” Grzesiek believes that Riot’s Valorant will surpass the success of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).
Now that the FPS game is in its beta testing stage, it has been dubbed as the next big thing to watch out for in the competitive gaming scene.
Many players believe it has the potential of surpassing the success of other popular titles, like Overwatch and CS:GO.
Shroud is among those who strongly believe in this outcome, despite being a famous CS:GO streamer himself.
The Similarities
Valorant seems to have taken some inspiration from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This includes the game elements of the game, the look of the maps, the set number of short rounds, the goal and the ability to buy weapons in each round.
For CS:GO fanatics, these features may be enough reason to convince them to try the title which claims to rely more on one’s in-game “abilities.”
Shroud’s Take
Since Valorant’s closed beta, shroud claims Valorant is easier to play than CS:GO because of its simplified map.
“The time to kill is one-to-one with CS. It just seems easier because the game is like 1.6, where it’s just bland, super simple. The walls have nothing on it. The characters pop.”
The game’s simplicity makes it easier to target opponents, which pro and skilled CS:GO players can enjoy with their near aimbot-like accuracy.
Despite the addition of agent abilities in the game, which others initially thought would compromise the game’s appeal and effectiveness, it’s not actually much of a bother in game.
“Do I think Valorant will overtake CS? Probably. I just think it’s a much easier game to get into. It’s much more pleasing to the eye, a little more casual. Counter-Strike is a bit more hardcore.”
Opinions have Changed
Back in March, Shroud implied in a stream that he was uncertain if the then-unreleased game Valorant can surpass CS:GO. For one, he wasn’t sure if viewers could understand the game as quick as CS:GO.
Lots of comparison have been drawn between the upcoming, hyped FPS game and other long-established titles like CS:GO. And since the game isn’t as straightforward as the other title, Shroud shared his own take:
“Put Counter-Strike as an example… Flashbang goes off, OK, smoke goes off, OK, guns are being bought. Here [VALORANT], it’s like another level. Guns are being bought, abilities are being bought, utilities being bought, and characters do stuff.”
“The fact that there are so many questions will make it a harder viewing experience than Counter-Strike… Counter-Strike is easy.”
It’s interesting to hear his entirely different take now that he has tried the game out for himself.
Not to mention, Team Shroud won the recent 100 Thieves Valorant tournament with teammates AZK, Skadoodle, Brax and Hiko. Fans are expecting to see more of shroud in the Valorant scene!
