Hype Surrounding VALORANT as the ‘CS:GO Killer’ May Be Overblown

There are a few pervasive narratives in the esports scene today, and one of the most commonplace is the idea that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s best years are definitively behind it. On the face of it, this sounds reasonable—after all, CS:GO is now a decade old and its engine is beginning to show its age. It doesn’t help that developer Valve has earned a reputation for being lax with updates and bug fixes for the title.

What’s more, there’s a new FPS on the scene—Riot Games’ ‘tactical hero shooter,’ VALORANT. Since 2019, this title has been winning converts from all corners of the esports community with its unique blend of Overwatch-esque character abilities and CS:GO-inspired mechanics.

Of course, any suggestion that CS:GO is on the way out as a competitive platform is unfounded and it’s easy to offer evidence to the contrary. The game is second only to League of Legends as a popular ambassador-title for the whole industry, and is ranked among the fastest-growing esports in the world. One need only look at how commonplace offers on the game are on leading comparison platforms like OddsChecker to be immediately disabused of the notion that the game is flagging. Betting on esports is more common than ever and there’s plenty of supply and demand for GS:GO lines.

New Player Record

With VALORANT on the way up, and all reasonable predictions suggesting that CS:GO is on the decline, many are sounding the death knell of the world’s most popular FPS esport, although it appears Counter-Strike has some miles left in the tank yet. In the final weekend of February, 1,354,248 users were recorded playing the game at the same time. That’s not only the largest peak since the early months of 2020, but the largest number ever recorded in the history of the game.

There’s no one clear reason why this should be the case, but several factors are thought to be contributing to this new surge in popularity, and to the title’s overall staying power.

Legacy

The core reason why CS:GO enjoys such consistent popularity in the face of age and decay is that it’s Counter-Strike. Since 1.6, the series has been a remarkably consistent torch-bearer for twitchy tactical shooters everywhere, and its tried and tested game modes and maps have entertained literal generations of players at this point. That kind of prestige is rare in the world of gaming, and is something that new titles cannot hope to equal straight out the gates.

Of course, nostalgia alone is not enough to keep people playing—the game is remarkably well balanced and tight. Few titles are capable of coming near the elegance and simplicity of gameplay it offers.

New Map

A single new map may sound like a poor reason to pick up the game again, but fans are loving Anubis—the Egyptian-themed bomb-defusal map developed by players and designers Roald, Jakuza and jd40. With an average of seven maps in rotation at any one time, a new arena is a big deal in the scene. This is widely seen to be a contributing factor to the game’s current spike in player numbers.

Skin Economy

There’s no escaping the fact that the record for peak concurrent players came shortly after the release of The Revolution Case, the latest premium DLC for the title, and the first in no less than six months.

The CS:GO second-hand skin economy is enormous, with rare items occasionally retailing in the millions of dollars. As such, the latest drop of 74 new skins has brought many players back into the game, eager to grab a deal or collect these coveted digital items.

The VALORANT Effect

While VALORANT is an impressive game in itself, it may be going too far to suggest it represents an existential threat to CS:GO. After all, while VALORANT is by far the most tactical-flavored of popular hero shooters, it still straddles these two genres.

FPS purists, as such, will always prefer the more grounded gameplay of Counter-Strike. What’s more, VALORANT has introduced tac-FPS mechanics to many players who are accustomed to more casual hero shooters.

It’s only natural that a proportion of those are going to want to experience what CS:GO has to offer before long. In this sense, VALORANT may be serving less as a CS:GO killer and more as a gateway to a new generation of players.

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