Okay. We need to talk about VALORANT....
Yes, I have played it. And, yes, it is incredibly special. Everyone talking about how amazing the game is hasn't being paid to say so — it is genuinely one of the most polished shooter experiences we've seen in a long time.
Every single big name streamer is playing it or talking about it. Former and current Counter-Strike pros and Overwatch pros are loving it. People who were skeptical at first now love it after having the chance to try it.
Riot has not paid for any of this coverage or for any of these people to stream the game. They simply sent out invites and every top player jumped at the chance to play it.
For more context, Epic Games paid Ninja $1 Million to play Apex Legends on opening day. H1Z1 and the H1Z1 Pro League also gave influencers incentives to stream gameplay. People are genuinely excited and hyped to play this game.
The day the embargo lifted, VALORANT had eight-hundred thousand to one million concurrent viewers on Twitch the entire day. And with the social media mentions and views on other platforms — it has is taken over. And it will continue to do so now that the beta has opened up.
This is not the "Counterstrike Killer!" Nothing is, and nothing will be. Counterstrike has too much history, and its gameplay and fanbase are too solid to take down. But don't get fooled into thinking that VALORANT is just another shooter.
VALORANT is, without a doubt, going to be a tier-1 esport.
The gameplay potential is through the roof.
Riot has proven it knows how to manage, maintain, and build a tier-1 esports scene.
Riot has shown its commitment to balancing the game correctly, taken a ton of feedback and actually used it!
They've invested a ton into anti-cheat and server infrastructure from the start.
Graphics have been prioritized to be easily readable and maximize performance for gameplay.
They have made every right step, and there are no hints that will change any time soon.
VALORANT is here to stay.